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Yahoo
25-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Eel fishing season hit by 'unprecedented' closure
Lough Neagh fishermen have said that pollution "cannot be allowed" to bring an end to eel fishing in the lough. Brown eel fishing will not resume in the area this year due to environmental changes. Seventh generation eel-fisherman Gary McErlain called the cancellation "unprecedented". It comes after the reduced fat content of the eels meant the early catches were rejected by the continental market that usually prizes them. In the meantime, eel fishermen like Mr McErlain are having to turn their attentions elsewhere. "It's fair to say there's other fish to fish for in Lough Neagh, which is a blessing and a lifeline for us," he told BBC News NI. "But to think that with all we've gone through for generations and the fight to maintain the right to fish, that we've got to a stage where pollution is the thing that potentially could bring this to a close? That cannot be allowed to happen." The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) monitors the eels on an annual basis. In a statement, the research body said "catches in Lough Neagh so far in 2025 have been higher than recent years up to this date" and that numbers are "primarily dependent" on young fish surviving the journey across the sea. The eel feeds on larvae of the Lough Neagh fly, in the bed and water of the Lough. AFBI said it had taken a "very limited sample" on the day the fishery closed and recorded the larvae in 35% of the stomach contents analysed which is higher than recent, larger samples. Consultation A consultation on proposals to improve water quality was branded out of touch by farmers, who said the plan did not recognise the day-to-day reality of agriculture. The backlash led to the consultation period being extended, and then the announcement that a review group would be established when it closed. Proposals from that group will then go to further consultation, with a final document to be brought to the Executive for approval as soon as possible. That move led farming leaders to encourage people to respond to the consultation. But they are still concerned about the "very severe potential impact" of the plans, according to Jason Rankin from the industry body AgriSearch. "We're estimating that Daera's (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) target for 2029 of an eight kilogramme phosphorus surplus per hectare could have an impact across the Northern economy of approaching £1.6 billion", he said. The group has called for "a win-win mentality", with "solutions and innovation to address the water quality issues we have in Northern Ireland while protecting the agricultural sector". Some farmers already take a different approach. County Down dairy farmer Tim Morrow has made changes over the years to reduce his fertiliser and feed inputs. He has planted multi-species swards across his fields and plans to entirely move away from fertiliser use over the next decade. But he can understand the fears of farmers who were encouraged to intensify. "Farmers were asked to produce more food and that's exactly what they've done - they've put up bigger sheds, they carry more cows. And all of a sudden, there's an about-turn", he said. "If you've something that's working, it's very hard to change. "l would love to see incentive-based change, encouragement for change, rather than penalties and that way for change." The Ulster Farmers' Union has warned that the draft proposals could see farmers having to reduce their livestock numbers. "If there was a programme saying, over the next five to 10 years, you're required to be doing this - mixed swards, more hedges - there are things that can happen if people are given enough notice," said Mr Morrow. "As farmers we're very aware that we're not doing all the polluting. There's a water company or two that maybe need a bit of work and a lot of farmers feel they're being picked on here." The Nutrient Action Programme (NAP) is a legal requirement. It is reviewed every four years, with this latest version already several years overdue. When it was first introduced in 2007, it led to improvements in water quality. But Daera says those have largely been offset by the intensification of agriculture since 2012. Agricultural pollution is the biggest contributor to the blue-green algal crisis in Lough Neagh. Other sources of pollution, like wastewater treatment, industrial effluent and septic tank seepage also play a part. Lough Neagh fishing industry 'victim' of environmental damage Farmers say NI pollution proposals 'out of touch' Minister 'determined' to chart path for delayed water pollution plan
Agriland
12-06-2025
- General
- Agriland
DAERA urges all farms to sign up for Soil Nutrient Health Scheme
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has issued a final call for all unregistered farm businesses to sign up for the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS). The scheme, first launched in 2022, is managed by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI). Farmers in zone four (Co. Antrim) are invited to apply for registration from Monday, June 16. Farmers in zone one, two and three who have not yet registered are also invited to apply. This final round of registrations will close on Monday, September 1, 2025. Previous applications The scheme first opened to applications from farms within zone one (Co. Down and parts of counties Antrim and Armagh) in May 2022 and closed again that September. Zone two (Co. Fermanagh, the west of Co. Armagh, and south Co. Tyrone) opened from June to August 2023, followed by zone three (north Co. Tyrone and Co. Derry) from June to August 2024. There was a 90% overall uptake over the three zones in the last three years. Farms from these zones that are still unregistered but expressed information in the scheme will be contacted by AFBI before registration opens. The training provided by the scheme is due to become a required condition for the the farm sustainability payment from January 2026. In a statement, DAERA said: 'Farm businesses are strongly encouraged to take this final opportunity to join this groundbreaking scheme' while the roll-out of the SNHS continues with AFBI. SNHS AFBI continue to work closely with three main sub-contractors to deliver the scheme: RPS Group (soil collection), Cawood/NRM (soil analysis), and Field Group (LiDAR capture). The scheme will provide each individual farm with their own unique data, documenting nutrient levels in the soil; the carbon stored in the soils, hedgerows and trees on the land; and nutrient run-off risk maps. In addition, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) will carry out online training to help participating farmers understand nutrient management; and even draw up nutrient management plans in a bid to make Northern Irish farms more nutrient-efficient and profitable, according to the college. DAERA has stressed that all information collected from participants will be protected under the SNHS Privacy Notice as well as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and only used for research purposes by the AFBI and relevant contractors.
