A well-known fishing group has advised its members not to eat fish caught in one of the main tributaries of Lough Neagh.
The Antrim and District Angling Association (ADAA) posted the advice “for the foreseeable future” on its Facebook page for anglers on the Six Mile Water.
Previously, scientists at Queen’s University Belfast had found that 13 potentially dangerous microbes were present in the algal mats that formed on Lough Neagh in 2023.
Blue-green algae are currently multiplying again.
The report confirmed the lake’s hypertrophic status – the worst category of water pollution.
“Take all precautions”
ADAA officials advised their members to be “extra cautious” when handling fish and to “take all precautions… and wash and disinfect after contact with water and fish.”
The group manages most of the Six Mile Water and its tributaries.
The club’s chairman, Maurice Parkinson, said that although most club members would release the fish anyway, the massive growth of algae in the lake and surrounding rivers had already caused concern before the research results were published.
“It’s clearly an unknown situation as we move forward,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve told our anglers that we really can’t take any chances here and that we just need to take the precautions that we know are appropriate at this time.
“We are just being extremely cautious.”
No formal warning
There was no formal warning not to eat fish from the lake this year.
Following the blue-green algae crisis in summer 2023, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) advised against eating fish caught for pleasure while it carried out tests to determine whether it was safe.
Commercially caught fish has been deemed safe due to the processes in place for its handling.
The FSA concluded that fish not caught commercially in Lough Neagh could be safely consumed as long as it was handled appropriately and thoroughly cleaned.
While Mr Parkinson said he would “trust the science”, he added that members had interests beyond fishing.
“People are very concerned about the overall river environment, water quality and the other issues that affect life more broadly,” he said.
“So it’s a broad interest, not just fishing or people who fish just for the sake of fishing.”
“And we like to think that the measurement of our angler is almost a kind of measure of the damage or well-being of the environment in general.
“We want to play it safe, that’s for sure, and also on the better side of science.”
