This summer Lough Neagh has looked like a scene from the Simpsons movie. In the 2007 production, Lake Springfield turns green after Homer and other members of the town dispose of waste inappropriately, leading to Springfield town having a glass dome placed over it.
However, this isn’t a 20th Century Fox production. The blue-green algae present in Lough Neagh has had an impact on wildlife including a number of swans that have been photographed lifeless at the edge of the lough. The Food Standards Agency are advising recreational anglers not to eat the fish from waters affected by blue-green algal blooms. Swimmers have been told to stay out of the water lest they become seriously ill. Lough Neagh rescue have flagged severe concerns over their efforts being hampered as a result of the algal blooms. Those who use Lough Neagh and the waterways that emerge from it to help maintain their mental health have been left without their local natural health service.
The issues affecting Lough Neagh are widespread, complex and will be time consuming to resolve. It is clear that the protection of Lough Neagh has not been prioritised by past or present governments. Saving Lough Neagh will not only require an ‘action plan’ and ‘joined up working’ but it will also require changing the policies that have led to the pollution in the first place. That requires real leadership to tackle the systemic issues that are destroying our waterways.
RSPB NI are urgently calling for a multi-departmental emergency response plan for Lough Neagh and funding to ensure it is delivered. Now is not the time for passing the buck between departments it is a time for action.
Look out for an opportunity to take action on this issue, and other environmental priorities, next week.