Toxins found in Lough Neagh fish but they're 'still safe to eat'

Perch fish are eaten by herons as well as humans

Some toxins have been found in the flesh of some fish in Lough Neagh for the first time, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed.

However, it said commercially harvested fish from the lough remained safe to eat and there was no change to advice for recreational anglers.

The FSA has sampled and tested various species of fish since 2023 to determine the levels and types of the toxins that may be present due to blue-green algae.

Blue-green algae is a collection of microscopic organisms that are naturally present in lakes and streams but, under certain conditions, can become abundant and form large blooms that discolour the water.

The algae has been detected more than 100 times across Northern Ireland since the start of the year, with the majority of sightings in Lough Neagh and the Lower Bann, as well as Lough Erne.

The FSA said toxicologists had confirmed that fish like bream, trout, perch, pollan and eel were safe to eat.

"The latest results show that some toxins have been detected in the viscera of the fish and, for the first time, in the flesh of some fish," it said in a statement.

"These results, compared to the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) levels set by the World Health Organisation, are not a health concern."

Speaking to the Nolan Show, the chief scientific advisor for the FSA, Prof Robin May, said recreational anglers should continue to "think about where you're fishing and the fish you're catching".

"Apply the normal kind of rules you would, so if the fish looks sick or certainly if it's floating or something, leave it where it is," he added.

"Once you've caught a healthy fish, even if it's away from the algal bloom, I would say take extra care, all the care you would normally, but perhaps even more to rinse that fish well and to remove the viscera cautiously before you eat it.

"If you do all of that then those fish remain completely safe to eat."

'We should all be celebrating'

Kathleen McBride, CEO of the Fishermen's Co-operative, said the FSA findings were "good news" for fishing on Lough Neagh

The Fishermen's Co-operative, the organisation responsible for marketing Lough Neagh fish products, welcomed the FSA's assessment that the fish were safe to eat.

The organisation's chief executive, Kathleen McBride, said "we are led by the science - the science says they're perfectly healthy to eat".

Ms McBride said the co-op "always knew our fish were healthy, because the Food Standards Agency had already declared that".

But she added the findings "just gives that extra bit of rubber-stamping" that should reassure people there are no risks in consuming fish from the lough.

Ms McBride admitted that since the blue-green algae problems were first reported, her organisation has had "real big challenges marketing our product".

"It's not helpful for us as a co-op to have the blue-green algae always in the media," she said.

"But again, this wee bit of news from the Food Standards Agency today has really helped."

What is blue-green algae?

The blue-green algae on Lough Neagh at Battery Harbour in August

Technically known as cyanobacteria, blue-green algae is a collection of microscopic organisms that are naturally present in lakes and streams.

Under certain conditions, blue-green algae can become abundant in warm, shallow, undisturbed, nutrient-rich surface waters that receive a lot of sunlight.

When this occurs, blue-green algae can form blooms that discolour the water, or produce floating mats or scums on the water's surface.

The algae are bacteria, which can cause skin irritation and sickness in people who come into contact with it, but the biggest risk is to pets, livestock and wildlife.

Read more here.