UK's largest lake faces environmental crisis as rescue plans stall

"The UK's largest lake, Lough Neagh, is on course to record its worst year of potentially toxic algal blooms to date, as rescue plans remain deadlocked. As a ban on eel-fishing in the lake is extended yet again, with local fishers' incomes falling by 60% since 2023, there have so far this year been 139 detections of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) growths recorded at the lough and its surrounding watercourses, according to a government pollution tracker."

"Lough Neagh's recurrent algal blooms, which choke aquatic life, are caused by an overload of phosphorous and nitrogen entering the lough system. Sixty two percent of these derive from agricultural sources including farm runoff, fertilisers and animal waste, while 24% comes from creaking wastewater treatment facilities and 12% from septic tank leakage. The remaining 3-4% is thought to come from a range of industrial and household sources around the lough."

"The data covers the 400 sq km freshwater lough, its tributaries, and smaller peripheral bodies of water, including Portmore Lough and Lough Gullion. At the central water body within this vast lough, rivers and wetlands system that drains nearly half of all land in Northern Ireland, along with parts of two counties in the Irish republic, the number of detections was slightly lower than 2024's tally."

Lough Neagh has recorded 139 cyanobacteria detections so far this year across the lough and surrounding watercourses, more than treble the number at the same point in 2024. The 400 sq km freshwater system and its tributaries include Portmore Lough and Lough Gullion and drain nearly half of Northern Ireland plus parts of two Irish counties. Algal blooms result from excess phosphorus and nitrogen: 62% from agricultural sources including runoff, fertilisers and animal waste; 24% from failing wastewater treatment; 12% from septic tanks; and 3-4% from industrial and household sources. Eel-fishing bans remain in place and local fishers' incomes have fallen around 60% since 2023.

Read at www.theguardian.com