There will be widespread support for the announcement from the Stormont agriculture minister, Andrew Muir, that he intends to clamp down firmly on those found to be responsible for pollution outbreaks.
Mr Muir indicated last week that farmers in particular would face tougher punishment for environmental breaches as he sets out to reverse a law change which had capped the level of penalties which could be applied.
The minister said specifically that he could not stand over the changes to the cross-compliance guidelines which were introduced by his predecessor, Edwin Poots, only two years ago as concerns were expressed from a range of voices,
Alarm had been growing over recent years about the scale of pollution being detected even before the shocking crisis on Lough Neagh became apparent last summer, in a development which made national and international headlines.
Noxious algae blooms covered major parts of the largest lake in Ireland and the UK, which has a surface area of over 150 square miles, affecting other waterways and shores across a wide area
There are indications that the blue-green algae is returning this summer, as The Irish News has been reporting, and one of the contributing factors is said to be the presence of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser flowing off fields.
It is essential that as much information as possible is circulated about the risks presented by some fertilisers as it would be appalling if Lough Neagh was hit by an environmental disaster for the second consecutive year.
It is essential that as much information as possible is circulated about the risks presented by some fertilisers
There will be sympathy for the problems faced by the farming industry, but the number of pollution episodes has been running at an unacceptable level for some time and solutions will have to be found,
A BBC Spotlight programme last week examined evidence that Moy Park, the biggest private sector employer in our region, had breached environmental laws in the way that it discharged waste on a wide range of occasions across three different sites.
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Moy Park said in reply that complex matters were involved, with the algal blooms not specifically linked to one sector, and stressed that it was “committed to working with all partners in line with a science-based approach to preserve the vitality of Lough Neagh”.
In a move which will be strongly welcomed, it has emerged that a Northern Ireland Environmental Agency enforcement team of 20 staff is being set up to cover the Lough Neagh catchment district.
All our political parties should commit themselves in the course of the general election campaign to endorsing initiatives designed to ensure that Lough Neagh and every other part of Ireland, north and south, facing environmental dangers will be fully protected for our future generations.
