Cookstown meeting to discuss algae crisis in Lough Neagh

A PUBLIC meeting is set to take place next month at Kinturk Cultural Centre, near Cookstown, to tackle the ongoing algae crisis in Lough Neagh.

The event, organised by political ecologist Dr Louise Taylor, will bring together fishermen, political and community campaigners, and local politicians to discuss what has been done so far to address the crisis and what urgent steps remain.

Confirmed speakers include Gary Houston, president of the Ulster Angling Federation, Bernadette McAliskey, a veteran political and community campaigner, and Gary McErlane, a local eel fisherman.

The algae problem, which has plagued Lough Neagh for a third consecutive year, has worsened with the arrival of warmer weather in the summer.

Dr Taylor warned that current wastewater infrastructure is inadequate to handle the problem and that relying on community action alone is insufficient.

The ecologist criticised the Lough Neagh Action Plan, released in July last year, for making only one reference to infrastructure and failing to outline the potential costs of necessary upgrades, which she estimates could run into millions. She also accused authorities of downplaying the impact of raw sewage being discharged into the lough, which she claims is intensifying the algae blooms.

“With just a few weeks of warm weather, this could become catastrophic,” Dr Taylor said.

“This is more than an environmental issue – it’s a public health concern. For many people, this is their drinking water. This is insanity.”

The meeting, scheduled for Monday, September 8, from 7pm to 9pm, is open to the general public, giving residents an opportunity to engage directly with experts and campaigners on the steps needed to tackle the crisis.