Lough Neagh: Largest lake in UK and Ireland being poisoned by toxic algae

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Lough Neagh: Largest lake in UK and Ireland being poisoned by toxic algae

Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the UK and Ireland, is being poisoned to death by a toxic blue-green algae on an apocalyptic scale.

It is killing fish, birds and dogs and there are serious concerns about public health because the lough provides 40% of Northern Ireland‘s drinking water.

Peter Harper, shoreline environment officer with Lough Neagh Partnership, says: “The lough at the minute, I would say, is in a state of emergency and we’re in a state of emergency too in a way in Northern Ireland because we don’t have a government.

“We don’t have an environment minister, we don’t have anyone to come out and see what’s happening.”

The deadly cyanobacteria is mainly caused by excess nutrients – nitrates and phosphates from farming discharge and sewage – and the stench is pungent and nauseating.

Gary McErlain, whose family has fished these waters for generations, is emotional about the state of the lough, which many people consider a national treasure.

Stormont stalemate is turning the water green in Northern Ireland

Lough Neagh: Largest lake in UK and Ireland being poisoned by toxic algae

Lough Neagh: Largest lake in UK and Ireland being poisoned by toxic algae

He says: “It’s devastating. We have fished from it, it’s been our livelihood, people just love it.

“To think that it’s crying looking [for] our help today and if it’s crying looking [for] our help, we have to do something to try and help it. We’ve broke it and now we need to try and fix it.”

There is a marker in the lough, indicating the location of the extraction pipe where 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water begins its long journey.

Beneath the surface resembles a snow globe but with green flakes of algae, a nutrient soup, and despite reassurances, there is concern about public safety.

Lough Neagh: Largest lake in UK and Ireland being poisoned by toxic algae

Lough Neagh: Largest lake in UK and Ireland being poisoned by toxic algae

“If we didn’t have the problem here, I would probably be offshore, open-water swimming,” explains Mary O’Hagan, who’s leading the call for an action plan.

She says: “The risks, to the best of my understanding, are things like headaches, dizziness, nausea.

“Long-term aspects, you can have things like liver damage, neurological damage, so it is not stuff to be played about with.”

Lough Neagh: Largest lake in UK and Ireland being poisoned by toxic algae

Gavin Knox, who has had to relocate his paddleboarding business, says he was “very angry” initially, because “this is a completely avoidable set of circumstances”.

“The issues surrounding the lough are not just Lough Neagh-based. Lough Neagh, to me, is telling the story that all contributories feeding into it have ongoing issues, whether that be from agri-land or sewage being pumped in,” he adds.

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With water temperature rising, climate change is a factor, and invasive zebra mussels aren’t helping. They filter the water and sunlight penetrates deeper, photosynthesising the algae.

But there is a general consensus among scientists that humans are mostly to blame – a combination of pollution without penalty and political failure for decades.

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