Hundreds of farmers caught in Lough Neagh legal battle
Over 400 farm businesses could be caught up in legal action being taken against Daera over pollution in Lough Neagh.
Eel fisherman Declan Conlon is taking the legal case against the department, arguing that Daera has failed to act against those responsible for polluting the lake.
A decline in the eel population in the lough was first identified in 1983, with numbers never recovering.
For generations, Mr Conlon's family has fished on Lough Neagh, which was once home to the largest wild eel fishery in the United Kingdom and Europe.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) has said letters are being sent to all farmers holding a Nutrient Action Programme (NAP) derogation.
The letters are intended to inform them about the legal action being taken against the department.
NAP derogations were granted in 2025 to some cattle farms, allowing them to utilise nutrients from grazing livestock manure.
Having an approved derogation allows farmers to operate under a manure nitrogen loading limit of 250kg N/ha/year, compared with the general limit of 170kg N/ha/year.
Around 420 farmers holding nitrates derogations in Northern Ireland are being contacted by the department.
A Daera spokesperson said: “While there is no legal requirement for the impacted farmers to do anything, the letter is making them aware that the court case may be of interest and alerts them to how they can obtain relevant legal papers relating to the case.”
“The department continues to implement the Lough Neagh Action Plan,” the spokesperson added.
The 37-point action plan, published in July 2024, targets phosphorus and nitrogen from agricultural runoff, wastewater and sewage discharges, failing septic tanks and invasive zebra mussels.
In the two years since the plan was introduced, 23 of its 37 targeted actions have been completed, with 14 remaining.