Leader David Ford made the call after it was confirmed those behind the recent fish kills in the Glenavy and Six Mile Water rivers are being prosecuted.
Mr Ford said: "These incidents were shocking and a clear reminder we need a stronger and safer way of managing our rivers. Aside from the obvious animal cruelty issues, every time a river is polluted in such a way and fish killed, it damages the livelihood of all anglers who use the river to fish.
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"People need to be made aware of their responsibilities and we need to ensure they dispose of any waste in an environmentally friendly way.
"An independent Environmental Protection Agency with strong powers of regulation would be able to help in this regard - helping safeguard our rivers and protecting them against would-be polluters."
(CD/MH)
