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Tag: Lough Neagh

Save Leagh Neagh: An unprecedented crisis deserves an unprecedented response

Posted on by Molly Allen
By Pádraig Mac Niocaill, Save Lough Neagh campaigner

The collapse of Ireland’s largest freshwater lake

In the summer of 2023, Lough Neagh, the largest lake in Ireland and Britain, and one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe, reached a tipping point. The water entered a phase of extreme eutrophication, when water is overly saturated with nutrients, leading to yearly spells where the Lough is coated in thick, toxic algal blooms. 

For four years now, this cycle has repeated, with dead animals washing up along the shores, and the neon green algae visible from flights over the lough, and seen even from space. The taste of tap water has also been affected locally, with many locals not trusting the water, and health concerns proliferating far and wide. For those who can afford it, bottled water has become the only trusted drinking water supply.

Algal blooms in Lough Neagh ©SaveLoughNeagh

Going for algae growth

Much debate has surrounded the primary reason for the Lough’s collapse. Going for Growth, a scheme in 2014, supported by the five main parties of Stormont, sought to supercharge the agri-food sector of the North, with no mind paid to the waste, is widely identified as being one of the main contributors.

Multi-billion pound agri-food companies that benefited from this scheme, convicted of environmental breaches receive barely a slap on the wrist. Sand dredging, of which the absentee landlord of the Lough, the Earl of Shaftesbury, still profits from every tonne dredged, has been highlighted as causing further harm to an already fragile ecosystem. And after decades of cuts, NI Water also dumps millions of tonnes of untreated sewage into our waterways.

On each of these causes and more, there is a major debate about which is the main one to blame, but the truth is, it is all of these things. The ecocide taking place at Lough Neagh is not a natural occurrence, it is a direct result of governance and political choices, as a resource to be exploited, not our home that provides 40% of the north with our drinking water.

Bloom of resistance

Since the algae blooms in 2023, the Save Lough Neagh campaign, a coalition of loughshore people affected by the crisis, fishermen, swimmers, environmental and political activists, have been rallying for change. Protests have taken place at each of the corners of the lough, Feargal Sharkey, a Derry-native, speaking at the Think Left conference in 2023, gave support to the first March for Lough Neagh, where hundreds marched to City Hall in Belfast, later followed by a a tie-in ‘March for Clean Water’ to coincide with the large London protest organised by River Action UK in November 2024.

Sustained pressure has caused the Earl of Shaftesbury to change his tune from “being treated like any other business‘, to ‘open to giving it away for free, though he still hasn’t fulfilled or given a timeline for the handover that would greatly address the deadlock the current approach to the crisis is calling out for.

The campaign calls for an end to the Going for Growth pollutive policy, an end to subsidies and rates relief to large polluters, an end to private ownership of the Lough by the Earl of Shaftesbury, a moratorium on factory farms and sand dredging, a well-funded water service, and Rights of Nature status for Lough Neagh.

 

The march for Lough Neagh

This February, signs of toxic algae appeared in spots around the shore, earlier than previous years. Leading to discussion about how to escalate the fight for the year ahead. There was appetite for a march for the Lough, at the Lough itself.

Fisherman and organiser with the Save Lough Neagh campaign, Declan Coney, had been on a massive anti-lignite march in 1986, where communities successfully mobilised along the western shore of Lough Neagh to defend the area from proposed lignite extraction by BP and Stormont.

Fisherman Declan Coney, looking out at the flotilla of boats taking part in the protest ©SaveLoughNeagh

It was decided that a 40th anniversary march would take place on Sunday 17th May and retrace the steps of the 1986 Ardboe march to connect the issues of our current government’s complicity in the crisis at Lough Neagh today, as well as to connect the fight against extraction in the the Sperrins to the mining of sand in Lough Neagh, and to highlight the monumental success of people power in the past. 

Ahead of the march, a Save Lough Neagh Film Festival & Conference was held on the southern shore in Lurgan, to bring environmental partners Friends of the Earth NI, The Gathering, Save Our Sperrins and many other groups together to unite around the issues, and build for the march. 

On the day of the march, locals counted over 2,000 at the start of the march, with many spectators from across the Lough and beyond, making it the largest mobilisation for the Lough yet. The March for Lough Neagh was also joined by a flotilla of dozens of boats along the route and a small farmer rally, echoing similar broad mobilisation in 1986. A tie-in protest at the Earl of Shaftesbury’s estate also took place at his estate in Dorset led by Right to Roam. The 1986 anti-lignite march was fought to protect a single area from mining, but the crisis facing Lough Neagh today is deeply systemic. 

The March for Lough Neagh ©Brendan Harkin

Winning this fight will require an unprecedented coalition fighting everywhere from the courtrooms to the streets. The March for Lough Neagh proved that people will turn out to stand up for our environment and clean drinking water. Now, we must use that momentum as the foundation for a movement that fights to put the planet and all who live on it above profit.

“Flood the streets for Lough Neagh”: major march on May 17 as toxic algae returns for fourth year

Posted on by Molly Allen

Civil Rights leader Bernadette McAliskey, fishermen, swimmers and campaigners to address protest marking 40 years since historic anti-mining march

As toxic blue-green algae begins returning to Lough Neagh for a fourth consecutive year, people across Ireland are being urged to “flood the streets” on Sunday May 17 for a major March for Lough Neagh demanding urgent environmental action and accountability from Stormont.

The march, organised by Save Lough Neagh, will leave the Battery Bar in Co. Tyrone at 12:30pm and proceed to Ardboe High Cross on the shores of Lough Neagh, retracing the route of the historic 1986 anti-lignite mining protest where thousands mobilised to oppose the exploitation of the lough.

Speakers announced for the rally include local fishermen, swimmers, environmental activists and campaigners. Civil Rights leader Bernadette McAliskey who is also speaking at the rally has said:

“I’d encourage people to come along for the march to save Lough Neagh. This year marks forty years since the Lignite mining march, and a little over fifty years since the People’s Democracy march of 1969. A great deal has happened over those decades, but the issues facing our communities and waterways are still with us.”

These marches were never just about one moment in time. They were about ordinary people standing together and refusing to be ignored. That spirit still matters today. If communities don’t stand up for themselves, nobody else will do it for them. Hopefully, we can keep this going for the long term. See you on the march this Sunday.”

The protest comes amid mounting public anger over the ecological collapse of the UK and Ireland’s largest freshwater lake, with biodiversity decline, sewage pollution, fish deaths and recurring toxic algal blooms devastating the ecosystem and threatening public health.

Signs of toxic algae were already reported around parts of the lough in February 2026, earlier than in previous years, raising fears that this summer could see another severe outbreak.

Lough Neagh, the largest in the United Kingdom and Ireland and a source of nearly half of Northern Ireland’s drinking water, has experienced repeated blue-green algal blooms and ecological decline, reportedly visible from space. ©SaveLoughNeagh

Legal action and political failure

The march also comes as Lough Neagh fisherman Declan Conlon takes legal action against the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), arguing that authorities have failed in their legal duty to protect the lough from nutrient pollution.

Conlon, whose family has fished on Lough Neagh for generations, described to the High Court how toxic algae and ecological decline have devastated both the ecosystem and traditional ways of life around the lough.

The Save Lough Neagh campaign says the crisis is the result of political failure, industrial agriculture, underinvestment in wastewater infrastructure, continued sand dredging and a regulatory system that has prioritised private profit over environmental protection.

The campaign is also reiterating its opposition to the proposed Moy Park-linked industrial factory farm outside Magherafelt currently under planning consideration in Mid Ulster Council, which campaigners say would further intensify nutrient pollution in the lough catchment.

The march has been endorsed by a wide range of environmental, social and political organisations, including River Action UK and Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, as well as organisers involved in the original 1986 lignite protests.

Fisherman Declan Conlon arriving at Belfast courts.  ©Mark Marlow/PA Media Assignments.

“A National Scandal”

Earlier this year, wildlife broadcaster and environmental campaigner Chris Packham backed the mobilisation, describing the situation at Lough Neagh as “a national scandal”. He commented:

“The destruction of Lough Neagh is a national scandal unfolding in plain sight. One of these islands’ most important freshwater ecosystems is being sacrificed because governments and regulators have failed to act with the urgency this crisis demands.

Toxic algae, collapsing biodiversity and sewage pollution are not inevitable, they are the consequences of political choices. People marching on May 17 are standing up not only for Lough Neagh, but for every community’s right to clean water and a healthy environment.”

Lough Neagh campaigners at Save Lough Neagh’s film festival and conference last weekend.

Enough is Enough

Pádraig Mac Niocaill, a spokesperson for Save Lough Neagh, said:

“Forty years ago, communities here stood against extraction in the form of lignite mining. Today we face another form of exploitation and environmental destruction, and once again ordinary people are being forced to defend our lough. Stormont has failed Lough Neagh by putting private interests and industrial growth ahead of clean water, biodiversity and public health. Toxic algae is returning year after year while political leaders continue to delay meaningful action.

“The Earl of Shaftesbury continues to profit from sand dredging while the ecosystem collapses around us. Meanwhile, the parties that backed the disastrous Going for Growth agri-policy continue subsidising major polluters while NI Water infrastructure crumbles and untreated sewage enters the lough. Enough is enough. On May 17 we are calling on people across the country to flood the streets for Lough Neagh and demand a future where people, wildlife and clean water come before profit.”

Mary O’Hagan, Lough Neagh swimmer, said:

“Even though winter has barely ended, we are already seeing signs of algae returning around the lough. Communities are frightened about what this summer could bring.

“We are asking everyone to join us on May 17 and send a clear message that we will not accept the destruction of Lough Neagh as normal. This is about our environment, our health and future generations.”

Declan Coney, Lough Neagh fisherman, said:

“I was at the first lignite protest in 1986 when thousands of people marched to defend this lough from exploitation. Forty years later, we find ourselves fighting again, only now the crisis is even more urgent.

“My family has fished these waters for generations, but what we are witnessing now is devastation. Wildlife is disappearing, the ecosystem is collapsing and fishing communities are being pushed to the brink.

“It should never have come to the point where fishermen have to go to court to force government departments to protect the lough. Talk is cheap. We need action now.”

 

March Details:

  • Sunday 17 May 2026
  • Assemble: 12pm at The Battery Bar, Co. Tyrone
  • March departs: 12:30pm
  • Finish: Ardboe High Cross, Lough Neagh shoreline

When a fisherman must go to court to save a lough

Posted on by Molly Allen
By Enda McGarrity, Director at P.A. Duffy & Co. Solicitors

Lough Neagh is the largest lake in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. It supplies drinking water to much of Northern Ireland and supports a unique ecosystem, a historic fishing community and livelihoods that stretch back generations. Today, this vital natural asset is in crisis.

For several summers, Lough Neagh has been smothered by severe blue-green algal blooms driven by excessive nutrient pollution. The green slicks spreading across the water are not merely unpleasant to look at. They signal ecological failure. Wildlife is disappearing, fish stocks are under pressure, and communities around the lough are increasingly concerned about the consequences of prolonged pollution.

Blue-green algal blooms in Lough Neagh ©SaveLoughNeagh

Against this backdrop, local eel fisherman Declan Conlon has brought a legal challenge against the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). His case asks the courts to examine whether the authorities have fulfilled their legal responsibilities to protect Lough Neagh and those who depend upon it from nutrient pollution.

In his sworn affidavit to the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland, Declan described the long tradition of eel fishing in his family. He told the court, “Our father James Gerard Conlon was an eel fisherman and his father Hughie Conlon before him was an eel fisherman. Going further back than that, beyond memory, my family would all have been fishermen.”

Eel fisherman, Declan Conlon arrives at the Belfast courts ©Mark Marlow/PA Media Assignments

For families like the Conlon’s, fishing on Lough Neagh is not simply a job but a way of life built on generations of knowledge and experience. The eel fishery is internationally recognised, and Lough Neagh eel holds Protected Geographical Indication status.

 

But what Declan and many others are witnessing today is a serious decline in the ecosystem that once supported this way of life.

The algal blooms affecting the lough are the visible symptom of excessive nutrients entering the water from agricultural runoff and wastewater discharges. When nutrients accumulate in a lake, they fuel the explosive growth of algae that can damage ecosystems and threaten wildlife.

Declan has seen these changes directly. He has described a lough where the flies that once fed the eels have disappeared, birdlife has diminished, and at times the blue-green algae gives off a very bad smell, an unpleasant gassy odour. The fishing season, once a reliable source of income, has been severely disrupted.

As Declan told the court:

“My way of life has been destroyed by the blue green algae and I want the DAERA to do whatever is necessary to stop the algae and safeguard and protect Lough Neagh, the fish, the flies and the wildlife for the benefit of future generations.”

Campaigners gather in support of eel fisherman Declan Conlon. ©Mark Marlow/PA Media Assignments.

It should never fall to a fisherman to bring a case of this magnitude. Yet Declan’s action highlights an important truth: environmental protections only matter when they are implemented effectively. When they are not, the environment and the communities dependent upon them suffer.

Northern Ireland has legal frameworks designed to protect rivers, lakes and coastal waters from pollution. River Basin Management Plans and regulatory controls on nutrient discharges are intended to ensure water bodies achieve good ecological status.

But when pollution persists year after year, and ecological decline becomes visible to those who depend on the water, it is right to ask whether those legal duties are being fulfilled.

Declan’s judicial review asks the court to examine that question.

We welcome the interventions of River Action and Friends of Earth NI in this case.

River Action has a strong track record of holding environmental regulators to account through the courts, including legal actions over pollution in the River Wye challenging the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales on nutrient pollution oversight.River Action is applying to intervene to assist the court by clarifying what constitutes a lawful River Basin Management Plan and by addressing the duty of regulators to put in place effective and enforceable measures where pollution is causing clear ecological harm.

Emma Dearlaney , Christian Fuller of River Action and Laura Neal of Friends of the Earth NI gather outside the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast in support of eel fisherman Declan Conlon’s judicial review. ©Mark Marlow/PA Media Assignments.

This case is not about assigning blame to any single sector. Farmers, fishermen, businesses and residents all depend on the health of Lough Neagh. Rather, the case seeks clarity about whether current plans to tackle nutrient pollution are strong enough to restore the lough.

The legal question at the heart of the challenge is straightforward: when a protected water body is clearly failing, are authorities taking the steps required by law to reverse that decline?

Judicial review ensures public authorities act within the law and fulfil duties placed upon them.

This case matters not only for the Conlon family or the fishermen of Lough Neagh. It matters for everyone who depends on clean water and responsible environmental governance.

Lough Neagh is central to Northern Ireland’s landscape, culture and water supply. Allowing it to decline year after year is not inevitable, nor acceptable.

Declan Conlon has shown courage in bringing this case. His aim is not only to defend his livelihood and way of life,  but to ensure the law protects the lough for future generations.

Justice for Lough Neagh: The First Hearing

Posted on by Molly Allen

Written by Christian Fuller, River Action’s Legal Coordinator  

This week, River Action took part in the first hearing of a legal case which, for the first time, asks the court to decide whether the Northern Ireland government is doing enough to tackle the water pollution crisis in Lough Neagh. 

Outside of the Royal Court of Justice in Belfast, clean water campaigners and members of the fishing community gathered to make their point plainly: the Lough is being destroyed by algae. Draped in green and holding placards reading ‘Justice for Lough Neagh’, the peaceful demonstration captured the now-familiar sight of blue-green algal blooms spreading across the water in recent summers.

Inside, representatives for the applicant, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Ulster Farmers’ Union, River Action and Friends of the Earth NI were present, with a packed courtroom due to public interest and concern.

The case is being brought by eel fisherman Declan Conlon, whose family has fished Lough Neagh for generations. He is challenging the failure of DAERA to comply with its obligations to safeguard and protect Lough Neagh from agricultural and wastewater pollution on eight legal grounds. The claim challenges the lawfulness of DAERA’s response, including its failure to adopt an adequate or lawful River Basin Management Plan. 

River Action has applied to intervene in Mr Conlon’s case to help the court assess whether DAERA is complying with its legal duties by raising important legal and practical matters. Our focus is on what the law requires and particularly the need for a lawful River Basin Management Plan to include clear actions and measures capable of restoring water quality, following the landmark case of Pickering. Drawing on major legal precedents on agricultural waste and nutrient pollution in which River Action has been involved in England, we hope to establish that DAEERA should put in place stronger measures as part of a lawful plan, including the proper enforcement of regulation to control the spreading of manure and sewage sludge, the implications of the classification of manure as waste following National Farmers’ Union v Herefordshire Council, and the need for planning and permitting to take account of cumulative pollution impacts. We will also seek to provide evidence to help the court understand the scale of the problem and what measures and practices could lead to the necessary reduction in pollution. 

At the hearing, the judge recognised the importance of this case. There were, he observed, no obvious “knockout blows” against the applicant. On the contrary, the judge said that this is “an important matter which will require a considerable amount of time to be devoted to it” and referenced “a significant element of public concern” in the situation with Lough Neagh. 

The judge repeatedly signalled there were a large number of issues and that detailed evidence would be required to “get to the bottom” of what is happening in the Lough. The judge emphasised that it was “important to leave no stone unturned” and that meant ensuring all “relevant players” were before the court.

The case will return to court on 1 May for a further review hearing, where the legal issues will be refined and the roles of additional parties considered. A permission decision will follow (to decide whether the claim is arguable and can proceed), with a substantive hearing anticipated later this year. 

This is the first real opportunity for the court to consider the Government’s response to the severe pollution of Lough Neagh and the applicable legal framework, with the potential to become the most significant water quality case in Northern Ireland for a generation. 

It is a critical opportunity to clarify what the law requires and to ensure that meaningful, urgent action is taken to restore Lough Neagh.

Fisherman launches High Court challenge against DAERA over Lough Neagh pollution crisis

Posted on by Molly Allen

Eel fisherman Mr Declan Conlon, whose family has fished Lough Neagh for generations, has brought a judicial review against the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

The case argues that DAERA continues to rely on inadequate plans and unenforced pollution regimes despite clear evidence of ecological collapse over several years. It raises serious questions about how agricultural pollution is addressed by DAERA in Northern Ireland. 

Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the United Kingdom and Ireland, providing approximately 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water, has suffered years of severe blue-green algal blooms and ecological decline – which can be seen from space.

In a sworn affidavit to the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland, Mr Conlon described the deep generational connection his family has to the lough.

“Our father James Gerard Conlon was an eel fisherman and his father Hughie Conlon before him was an eel fisherman. Going further back than that, beyond memory, my family would all have been fishermen.”

“My way of life has been destroyed by the blue-green algae and I want DAERA to do whatever is necessary to stop the algae and safeguard and protect Lough Neagh, the fish, the flies and the wildlife for the benefit of future generations.”

Speaking about the legal challenge, Declan Conlon said, “I’ve fished Lough Neagh all my life, just like my father and his father before him. Now I’m watching it die in front of my eyes. This isn’t just about my livelihood – it’s about justice for the lough before there’s nothing left for the next generation.”

Enda McGarrity, Director at P.A. Duffy & Co. and solicitor for Mr Conlon, said the case reflects the lived experience of those whose livelihoods depend on the health of the lough and is about securing justice for Lough Neagh and the communities who rely on it.

“Declan Conlon has fished Lough Neagh his entire life, and what he is witnessing in recent years is a collapse unlike anything seen before.

“Where there was once abundance, there are now no flies for the eels to feed on, barely any birds, and stretches of water that smell so foul you cannot stand near them.

“He has seen the impact with his own eyes, from wildlife disappearing to reports of animals becoming sick after contact with the water. The blue-green algae is not just unsightly; it poses a real risk to health.

“Declan did not take this case lightly. He has brought this challenge because he believes the lough, his livelihood, his way of life, and the community that depends on it deserve proper protection under the law.”

River Action UK and Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland will apply to intervene in Mr Conlon’s legal challenge concerning the ongoing pollution crisis affecting the lough.

We are seeking to intervene in the judicial review to help the Court assess whether DAERA is complying with its legal duties to protect Lough Neagh. By drawing on recent legal cases addressing agricultural waste, nutrient pollution and river basin planning in England, River Action hopes to establish that DAERA must put in place clear, enforceable measures to reduce pollution and restore the health of the lough and its internationally important habitats.

River Action’s Head of Legal Emma Dearnaley said, “Declan Conlon’s case raises urgent questions about whether enough is being done to tackle the pollution driving the decline of Lough Neagh. When pollution persists year after year and ecological harm becomes impossible to ignore, it is right to ask whether the legal frameworks designed to protect Northern Ireland’s waters are being properly applied. River Action seeks to assist the Court in answering that question. 

“For too long, decision-makers have relied on plans and promises while pollution has continued and Lough Neagh has visibly deteriorated. We hope this case will help bring about the clear, enforceable action needed to reduce pollution and restore this vital ecosystem.”

Leigh Day partner Ricardo Gama, who represents River Action, said, “As a national organisation, River Action hopes to make sure that all jurisdictions in the UK are taking a correct and consistent approach to dealing with the acute pollution crisis in our rivers and lakes. 

“They have already established important legal principles in cases brought in England, and they hope that they can bring these principles to bear in Mr Conlon’s case. This would not only be for the benefit of Lough Neagh, but also every other water body at risk of ecological collapse in Northern Ireland.”

Friends of the Earth NI has been campaigning to protect Lough Neagh for decades. Standing in solidarity with communities and grassroots groups such as Save Lough Neagh, Friends of the Earth NI is committed to seeking justice for Lough Neagh, whether that be inside our Courts or outside. 

Over 50,000 people have supported Friends of the Earth NI’s five point plan for a just settlement for the Lough. 

James Orr, Director, Northern Ireland, Friends of the Earth said, “Lough Neagh is dying and it is dying in plain sight.

“It is a sad indictment of the state of our environmental protection regime that it has taken a local fisherman to challenge government inaction through the Courts to protect the Lough.

“For generations the lough and its communities have been betrayed by those in power. Yet again, taking this case shows the leadership to protect our life support systems is coming from our local communities.”