The chemical suspected to be caustic soda is understood to have entered the water, destroying various species. Fly fishers warn that the burn's salmon population has been 'wiped out' and could take years to recover. Ferguson said the chemical appeared to be industrially linked, and that the salmon population could face a five-year recovery period.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) is investigating the potential pollution. A Sepa spokesman said they are working to identify the source and impacts. The incident comes at the peak period for fly fishing on the Spey, just 10 days after another pollution incident at a Spey tributary where white paint spill killed salmon. The exact chemical and its source remain unknown, as does the precise number of casualties.