Lough Neagh action plan must be signed off urgently, Muir tells MLAs

An action plan to deal with an environmental crisis at Lough Neagh must be "urgently" signed off by the Stormont Executive, Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrew Muir has said.

Mr Muir said every day that the plan was not agreed was "another day lost" as he told MLAs that he had "heard nothing" since distributing an updated version of the plan to his ministerial colleagues.

The minister updated the Assembly on a range of actions to deal with water quality and environmental issues at the lough following the widespread appearance of blue-green algae last year.

He said his Lough Neagh report and action plan contained 37 actions, 17 of which needed Executive support.

Lough Neagh is the biggest freshwater lake, by surface area, in the UK and Ireland, supplies 40% of Northern Ireland's drinking water and sustains a major eel-fishing industry.

Noxious blooms covered large parts of the lough last summer and also affected other waterways and beaches in the region.

While the algae has been detected this summer, it is not on the scale of 2023.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser running off fields is believed to be a major contributory factor.

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel species is also understood to have played a role, as they have made the water clearer, allowing more sunlight to penetrate, stimulating more algal photosynthesis.

Climate change is another factor cited, with the highest water temperature at Lough Neagh recorded last June.

Updating MLAs, Mr Muir said there were "no quick fixes" to the issues but added that it was vital to make a start.

Stating that he had brought the action plan to ministers weeks ago, he added: "While it remains under consideration by the Executive, I will continue to work with my Executive colleagues to obtain their approval as soon as possible."

He said his department would progress the 20 recommendations which do not require Executive approval.

These include a review of a nutrients action programme and education and training programmes, including for slurry spreading contractors.

He also said officials had been commissioned to undertake an independent scientific review of the environmental impact of sand extraction from the lough and had launched a small business research initiative to explore solutions to treat and reduce blue green algae blooms.

The minister said there would be a range of measures to reduce phosphorus from agriculture.

Mr Muir said: "Put simply, we have a problem with slurry and manures; there is too much of it and it is part of the cause of nutrient overload in Lough Neagh.

"My vision is to view slurry and manures as a resource which are processed sustainably, generating for example electricity plus by-products for export."

He added: "It is both unfair and wrong to castigate farmers as part of some entirely unproductive and divisive blame game.

"Ultimately government has to take responsibility, acknowledge what was abdicated for decades now has clearly had consequences, we accept the problem and are determined to fix it together."

He said restricting the use of chemical fertilisers on grasslands would need Executive proposal.

"Where you don't need chemical fertilisers containing fertilisers we will seek to save both the environment and the farmer financially by using science and evidence to reduce these issues."

Regarding ownership of the lough's bed, Mr Muir said his preference was for community ownership and he had sought a further meeting with current owner, the Earl of Shaftesbury.

He added: "I will do all that I can as minister but urgently need Executive approval for key actions to deliver a cross-cutting, combined approach and interventions already agreed between my department and the infrastructure and justice ministers but awaiting Executive sign-off.

"We have run out of time, each day that passes where the plan is not agreed by the Executive is another day lost to fix the problems beamed on TV screens across the world."

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said it was "rather unfortunate" the minister was making the statement to the Assembly without final agreement from the Executive.

He added: "Can you give us any indication at all why there isn't buy-in and support for the 17 actions which require cross-cutting and other departmental input?"

Mr Muir responded: "I circulated the Lough Neagh report and Action Plan (to the Executive).

"I received some comments.

"I updated the report to reflect those comments and I have heard nothing since."