DAERA called to 'redouble its efforts to support Lough Neagh fishers, particularly those within the eel industry'
Ulster Unionist MLA for Lagan Valley and AERA Spokesperson, Robbie Butler, has expressed deep frustration following the AERA Committee visit to the Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Cooperative at Toomebridge, highlighting the ongoing and worsening crisis at Lough Neagh.
Speaking after engaging directly with local fishers, Mr Butler said the situation facing those who depend on the Lough for their livelihoods, particularly the indigenous eel fishery, remains deeply concerning.
“The persistent and highly visible problem of blue-green algae at Lough Neagh continues to underline the scale of environmental decline we are dealing with.
"This is not a new issue, yet there remains a concerning lack of urgency from the Department in sticking to and delivering on the timelines it has set out.
“Fishers made it abundantly clear that confidence in the system has been severely eroded.
"The inability to trade Lough Neagh eels last year, combined with wholly inadequate financial support, has left many questioning their future in the industry.”
Mr Butler pointed to the complex and interlinked causes behind the ecological challenges facing Lough Neagh, including pollution, invasive species such as zebra mussels, climate pressures, and other contributing activities around the Lough.
“These factors are not operating in isolation; they are compounding one another and continuing to wreak havoc on both the eel fishery and wider water quality,” he said.
"The longer decisive action is delayed, the greater the long-term damage will be not just environmentally, but economically and socially for those communities who rely on the Lough.”
He emphasised that the crisis at Lough Neagh extends beyond the immediate environmental and economic concerns.
“Water quality and air quality are intrinsically linked to better health and wellbeing outcomes,” he added.
"What we are witnessing at Lough Neagh is not just an environmental issue, it is a public health concern that demands urgent and sustained attention.”
Mr Butler concluded by calling on the Department to take meaningful and accelerated action.
“The Department must now redouble its efforts to support Lough Neagh fishers, particularly those within the eel industry, and ensure that all actions to restore the Lough are equitable, sustainable, and achievable.
"This is about protecting livelihoods, restoring confidence, and delivering for the wider public and environmental good.”