Shoreline ‘wake’ highlights concerns over toxic algae

CAMPAIGNERS held a ‘wake’ on the shores of Lough Neagh yesterday (Sunday) to highlight growing concern about the damaging impact of toxic blue and green algae on the UK’s largest freshwater lake.

Coordinated by Cookstown woman, Louise Taylor, of the Love Our Lough collective, the peaceful protest saw dozens of people – many dressed in black – accompany a coffin along the lough shore at Ballyronan Marina to represent their concerns about the ‘death’ of the lake.

Speaking to the Herald after the ‘wake’, the Tyrone woman said, “The event went really well and it was lovely to see everyone coming together with the common goal of saving the lough.

“There were hundreds of people at the wake from all different disciplines and from right across Northern Ireland and it was touching to see so many people in support of saving the lough from further environmental neglect and destruction.” Concerns have been growing in recent months about the blue and green algae, with local angling groups saying that it is putting their future livelihoods at risk.

The ‘wake’ is just the latest in a series of community actions aimed at raising awareness of the damaging impact that the pollution on the lough may be having on fish and birds, as well as humans.

Last week, a public meeting in the Ardboe area heard the current state of the lough described as “catastrophic” and an “environmental emergency.”

Describing the mood at yesterday’s event as “sombre”, coordinator Louise Taylor said, “While there was a strong sense of loss and grief, there was still an overall togetherness in the crowd – everyone connected.”

“And one main goal we have is to get those local to Lough Neagh to get involved in groups like ‘Love our Lough’, because we strongly believe that the wisdom, knowledge and solutions lie within the community – they understand the area most.

“It has to be community leading because we have been completely abandoned by our services and we have no government,” she added.

As Lough Neagh provides 40 per-cent of Northern Ireland’s drinking water, campaigners say they find the scale of pollution “highly concerning”.

Love Our Lough has expressed a critical need for stricter environmental regulations to prevent further damage, alongside funds to facilitate a comprehensive clean-up effort.

And the group has urged the community to get involved in preventing the desperate situation at Lough Neagh from escalating to an irreversible point of no return.

You can sign a petition in support of saving Lough Neagh by visiting www.change.org and searching ‘Save Lough Neagh: Stop Pollution, Protect Wildlife, and Empower Local Communities’.