Protest to be held over continuing Lough Neagh crisis

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/protest-to-be-held-over-continuing-lough-neagh-crisis-P3YMTEDZQNEW7ATC22WK5HFMZU/

Campaigners describe scenes at Ireland’s largest inland water body as “apocalyptic”, amid third summer of noxious algal blooms

Grassroots campaigners are due to stage a demonstration on Monday to draw further attention to Lough Neagh’s ongoing pollution crisis.

The action comes as a third consecutive summer of extensive cyanobacterial (or, ‘blue-green algae’) blooms means Ireland’s largest inland body of water is once again generating unwelcome publicity.

The Save Lough Neagh coalition of activists and other campaigning organisations will hold its protest at 1pm by the Finn McCool statue along the lough shore at Antrim.

Former fishermen, anglers and other campaigners around the lough’s 90-mile perimeter are among the event’s speakers.
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One local charity, the Lough Neagh Partnership, has claimed this year’s algal blooms are the “worst” it has seen yet.

There is currently no scientific evidence to support the claims.
However, blue-green algae has been detected more than 100 times across Northern Ireland in 2025 – with the majority of sightings occurring in Lough Neagh, the Lower Bann and Lough Erne.

Páidí Mac Niocaill, who lives near Magherafelt, believes this year’s contamination of the lough’s waters could still worsen“.
“The scenes we are witnessing at the shores of Lough Neagh this year are nothing short of apocalyptic,” he said.

“Once again dead animals and a toxic stench envelope our shore, and the growth season isn’t even over.”
Fallout from the successive summer pollution events has deepened this year, with a ban on commercial eel fishing having been extended to cover the entire 2025 season.

No financial aid or compensation package has materialised so far for the lough’s fishers.

The Save Lough Neagh collective has reiterated its demands for an independent environmental protection agency, an increased funding settlement for NI Water and a transfer of the lough’s bed and banks into public or community ownership.

Lough Neagh’s bed, banks and soil are currently owned by Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury.

Mr Mac Niocaill told The Irish News that Stormont had done little to address the pollution crisis.

Politicians at the devolved parliament will revisit a consultation over farming and land use reform when they return following the summer recess period.

Meanwhile, he said, regulation of water pollution and various industrial activities at the lough, including sand extraction, has been poor.

He added: “Management bodies working with the executive appear reluctant to…break away from this same exploitative mindset, meanwhile an absentee landlord continues to own the lough and profit from [resource] extraction.

“Swimmers, anglers, people across the shore affected by this ecocide will be making our voices heard loud and clear tomorrow in Antrim that we demand a complete upheaval of how our environment is treated in the North.”