Lough Neagh: Algae could pose serious health risks, say experts

He called for government to support a “just transition” for the agricultural sector, through agri-environment subsidies.

“Recent national and local political change should foster optimism that the environment and opportunities for change now exist,” he said.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, found the hazardous algal bloom (HAB) that developed in 2023 was “an unprecedented environmental perturbation to an internationally important ecosystem”, likely due to a combination of excess nutrient in the water, climate change and the effects of invasive species.

It says “significant investment” would be needed in wastewater infrastructure and in-lake remediation strategies.

A Lough Neagh action plan is in place to address the challenges facing the largest body of freshwater in these islands.

It includes a research programme to test potential solutions to the blue-green algal crisis.