Lough Neagh is ‘dying in plain sight’

AS controversy continues to swell around the current condition of Lough Neagh, calls for the water – and land surrounding it – to be brought under public ownership are getting louder.

A motion has been tabled at Belfast City Council (BCC) demanding the public acquisition of Lough Neagh – which provides 40 per-cent of all the North’s drinking water – in order to help solve ongoing environmental issues.

For a number of months, news of a toxic blue-green algae outbreak at Lough Neagh has grabbed headlines across the North.

On Sunday, dozens of Tyrone boatmen attended a protest to highlight problems associated with the growth of the poisonous algae, as well as to draw attention to dangers posed by a build up of sand and debris at the barmouth of the Blackwater River, which is making access to the lough difficult for both fishermen and rescue services.

In the motion tabled at Belfast City Council (BCC) by Green Party councillor Brian Smyth, he said that the lough was ‘dying in plain sight’.

“Lough Neagh is the largest lake in these islands and has been described as hypereutrophic. In other words the lough suffers from nutrient enrichment mainly from human sewage and agricultural run-off both directly into the lough and the wider water catchment,” the motion by Green Party councillor Brian Smyth reads.

“This severe deterioration in water quality is the latest in a number of problems ranging from extractive industries, invasive species, and the depletion in the numbers of fish and birds.

“If Lough Neagh was a person, it would be described as having multiple organ failure. Over decades the current management and ownership structures have proven incapable of dealing with these complex problems.

“For such a strategic asset and its importance for drinking water, fishing, culture, recreation and biodiversity, Lough Neagh deserves a more effective form of ownership and a management structure that works in the public interest to deal with these multiple problems.”

The motion called for the public acquisition of the lough’s bed and banks, which, unlike the water of the lough, are currently owned by an English aristocrat, the Earl of Shaftesbury.

“Furthermore, the council supports a new legal right of nature for Lough Neagh that guarantees a model of ownership that protects the rights of Lough Neagh to exist and evolve,” read the motion.

“Finally, the council recognises that public acquisition of lough must involve in the future participation of the Lough Neagh communities in any future decision-making for the lough.”