You may have seen the disgraceful stories in recent weeks about the terrible pollution of Lough Neagh that has been occurring unabated and which has been poisonous for humans and animals, since May.
Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in Ireland or the UK and due to an overload of nutrients, with agriculture mainly responsible, scientists are saying it could take 20-30 years for the lake to recover.
On this week’s Ireland on the Fly, Tom and Daire find out how this was allowed to happen, how it can be stopped and what it has meant for local anglers as well as local communities around the lake.
They’re joined by Dr. Les Gornall who did his Phd with Prof. R.B. Wood on Lough Neagh and by Seamus Donnelly who is Secretary of the Moyola Angling Club, and while Lough Neagh would not be known for its angling, Seamus has caught fish on it fly fishing from a drifting boat.
Seamus tells of his experience of the thick algae bloom that is suffocating the water while Les gives the scientific background as to why this is happening and how it can be stopped.
Lough Neagh will be an open sewer if nothing is done, Les tells them in stark terms.
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