Lough Neagh: Public meeting calls for action over algal blooms

Blue-green algae has been found in waters in and around Northern Ireland over the summer

A public meeting has been held to discuss concern over blue-green algal blooms in Lough Neagh.

About 250 people attended the Save Our Shores event at the Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy on Wednesday.

The meeting aimed to create a coordinated approach to tackle the environmental issues facing the lough.

BBC News NI understands a cross-party delegation will meet Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs representatives on Thursday.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) has called for MLAs to return to Stormont to discuss the issue.

The motion calls on the assembly to declare "an ecological crisis in Lough Neagh".

About 250 people attended the Save Our Shores event at the Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy on Wednesday

Protesters held a 'wake' at Lough Neagh on Sunday to highlight their fears that the lough is dying.

Campaigners said pollution is killing the lake, with wildlife and birds suffering after blue-green algal blooms over the summer.

Lough Neagh supplies half of Belfast's drinking water and 40% of Northern Ireland's drinking water overall.

• What does the future hold for Lough Neagh?

• Protest highlights fears that 'lough is dying'

Willy Darragh, from Save Our Shores, said it was hoped the meeting would push relevant bodes into action.

"Who's to blame, it's irrespective, it's how you move forward from today and for the future," he said.

"The past is the past, we can't change that but we can certainly change our destination in the future."

Peter Harper said he was pleased to see some politicians had been listening to concerns

Peter Harper, from the Lough Neagh Partnership, said the issues should be treated as an emergency.

"What we have been calling for is an inter-departmental working group," he said.

"I am pleased to say some of the politicians seem to be listening to that."

'Not enough being done'

A spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds NI (RSPB) said the blooms are "a danger to wildlife, communities and the economy associated with the lough".

"The issues affecting Lough Neagh are wide ranging, complex and will be time consuming to remedy. However, it is clear that not enough is being done to protect Lough Neagh for both present and future generations," they added.

"In the short term, RSPB NI are urgently calling for a multi-departmental emergency response plan for Lough Neagh and funding to ensure it is delivered."