Lough Neagh algae: Meeting between minister Andrew Muir and Early of Shaftsbury won't address cause of toxic algae, says Friends of the Earth

On Monday the Earl of Shaftesbury, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, said he would like to transfer his estate's ownership of the Lough Neagh bed and banks "into a charity or community trust model, with rights of nature included".

Department for Agriculture and Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir responded on X to the news, saying that he is seeking a meeting with Earl Shaftesbury following his comments.

He added that "community ownership remains my own preference".

He added: "I look forward to discussing further with Nicholas Ashley-Cooper and engaging with the Lough Neagh Partnership initiative about future management & ownership."

However James Orr, Director of Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, said discussions between the two men will not focus on the immediate issue of toxic algae.

"The issue around Lough ownership is not directly related to the poisoning of the lough by algal blooms," he told the News Letter. "It's indirectly linked. I think ownership issues are really important in the future. We need to sort it out and we need to take it out of private ownership hands.

"But to deal with the nutrient levels in the lough which are causing the biggest visible problems at the minute, then we need to look at NI Water and we need to look at how we produce food. So yeah, ownership is an important debate but it is not the panacea to the urgent problems."

Last week DAERA declined to challenge his claim that government encouragement of 'global corporate agribusiness' has been the key cause of the environmental crisis in Lough Neagh.

Mr Orr said that family farms had always been releasing phosphorus into waterways, but that the levels only became problematic after government strategy since 2012 began encouraging what he called “factory farms” as part of “global corporate agribusiness”.

He also said two thirds of the human waste in the lough is coming from NI Water sewage works and one third from septic tanks, of which there are well over 10,000 around Lough Neagh.

He claimed there was "a clear causation" between government policy "the poisoning of Lough Neagh".

Responding, the Department of Agriculture did not appear to directly challenge his claims.

A DAERA spokeswoman said that last month Minister Andrew Muir announced plans to foster “an environmentally sustainable agri-food industry” and that “over the past couple of decades, we have not got the balance right between growing our economy whilst safeguarding our natural environment”.

Regarding the proposed meeting with the Earl of Shaftsbury, DAERA said: “The immediate focus of Minister Muir is upon addressing the water quality issues affecting Lough Neagh, a comprehensive Report and Action Plan has been compiled for which Executive approval is being sought.”

The minister’s Lough Neagh action plan is due to come before the Stormont Executive again this week, after being rejected last week.