Lough Neagh’s recovery will require “tough decisions” and “sustained action over many years and possibly decades”, the North’s Minister for the Environment has said.
Alliance Assembly member Andrew Muir MLA also warned that sewage pollution could turn Belfast Lough and other bodies of water in Northern Ireland into “the next Lough Neagh”.
Appearing before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of MPs at Westminster on Wednesday, Mr Muir said Lough Neagh was “an issue of great concern” and “we need to be brave” to address it.
Other witnesses described the catastrophic impact of blue-green algae on Lough Neagh which Gerry Darby, the manager of Lough Neagh Partnership, said had led to “really significant” habitat loss around the shores of the lough. It has left about 12 per cent of the species “at extinction”.
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“The ecological impact has been pretty horrendous and very frightening,” he said.
The waters of Lough Neagh have been polluted for decades by excess nutrients from agricultural fertiliser, poor wastewater treatment and septic tanks. These, combined with the warming effects of climate change and the presence of the zebra mussel – an invasive species -has caused the growth of poisonous blue-green algae.
Kathleen McBride, chief executive of the Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-Operative Society, described the “unprecedented” suspension of commercial eel fishing on the lough this year due to the unviability of the catch.
“The lough has to be brought back to some sort of balance ... because we went from, last year, a reasonable income for fishermen to this year having absolutely nothing,” she said.
“If that was to happen in any other industry, there would be an outcry, and I appeal today that it is an outcry, to go from income to absolutely zero over the last 12 months.”
[ An orange-green split is looming over Lough NeaghOpens in new window ]
In his evidence, the Minister described the “unprecedented” situation in the lough – the largest freshwater lake in Ireland and Britain – which he said represented “a key environmental challenge for us all across these islands”.
Outlining the progress that had been made regarding the Lough Neagh Recovery Plan, he said 14 of its 37 actions had been delivered and 22 were under way.
But he said he was “fast losing patience” with the Department of Infrastructure (responsible for wastewater infrastructure) regarding sewage pollution in the lough, and it was “important everyone plays their role”.
Asked by DUP leader Gavin Robinson about the progress that had been made on an action regarding the delivery of wastewater schemes for the lough, Mr Muir said this was subject to funding. He said, “There isn’t a deadline against that in terms of when this investment is going to occur.”
Describing it as a “critical issue”, Mr Muir said, “My concern [is] that we need to have clear timelines set out for when we’re going to have that investment in wastewater infrastructure.”
[ Ireland urged not to follow New Zealand in changing methane targetsOpens in new window ]
He also emphasised the importance of taking action regarding climate change, which “isn’t optional”, and said it was vital to listen to scientists.
“My concern in recent times has been the deliberate debasing of science and evidence in terms of peer-reviewed academic research around situations we’re facing. It’s important we respect the science and evidence and we take action in response to it,” the Minister said.
He also outlined the liaison which was taking place with colleagues “in the south of Ireland, because this is a shared North-South challenge, because the catchment area ... goes into the South”, and with the UK government.
