Eel Fisherman Sues DAERA Over Lough Neagh Pollution

0:00On March 24th, an eel fisherman from Loughney is taking the Department of Agriculture, Environment, and Rule Affairs to the High Court. Declan Collins says that the Department has failed to stop agricultural pollution that's ruined his family's generation's old livelihood. He's challenging them on eight legal grounds for relying on weak plans and not enforcing pollution rules. Over the past three summers, toxic algae blooms have blanketed parts of the lake, fueled by farm slurry runoff, waste water, invasive zebra mussels, and warmer waters. This led to a suspension of commercial eel fishing for the rest of the 2025 season. Common has watched wildlife vanish from flies that eels eat to birds and even animals getting sick from the water. The foul-smelling blooms make large areas unusable and threaten health for anyone nearby. Environment Minister Andrew Muir rolled out a recovery plan last year, but it's only partly in place amid pushback from some politicians. He has called out efforts to ignore the signs behind the lakes decline.

1:01Groups like River Action UK and Friends of the Earth plan to support Conlon and Court, as the case heads forward with no comment yet from the Department.