Public invited to meeting on Lough Derg
Anyone who loves Lough Derg or relies upon it for their livelihood or for recreation is invited to a public meeting ‘Treasuring Lough Derg’ on Tuesday April 16, in Nenagh Arts Centre at 7.30pm. Acclaimed aquatic ecologist and sub-aqua diver, Dr Cilian Roden, will tell the story of the lake’s ecology from the past to the present, and describe what its future holds.
The meeting is being organised by local election candidate Iva Pocock and MEP Grace O’Sullivan.
“Lough Derg is one of Ireland's most beautiful places, providing an important habitat for birds and other species as well as a welcome place for recreation and of course tourism. I'm looking forward to exploring the health of the lake with the input of Dr Cilian Roden at this event, as well as discussing how best we can protect it,” said Ms O’Sullivan, MEP for Ireland South.
“Water quality is a big concern for me and is legislated for at the European level, and it is vital we ensure that the lake's ecosystem is protected, as well as ensuring that it is a safe place for us to swim and indeed draw drinking water from,” she continued.
SAVE OUR LOUGH DERG
Local election candidate Iva Pocock has long been interested and concerned about the state of Lough Derg, having supported the Save Our Lough Derg group when she worked with Greenpeace Ireland in the 1990s.
“I invited Dr Roden to Nenagh because I was so alarmed last autumn when Tipperary County Council issued warning notices about toxic algal blooms on the lake. The warnings came soon after the pea green images of Ireland’s largest lake, Lough Neagh, hit the headlines. I simply could not get the question ‘Will Lough Derg be next?’ out of my head.
“The death of Lough Neagh has shattered people’s livelihoods and threatened water supplies in Belfast and beyond, not to mention been a disaster for wildlife and biodiversity. Lough Neagh is more than three times the size of Lough Derg yet the algal bloom took hold. Excessive nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorous – from slurry, sewage and other sources have killed the lake. Once the bloom sets in it depletes oxygen levels in the water and blocks sunlight from reaching aquatic plants. The exceptionally warm June followed by a very wet July and August, in keeping with the changing climate, only exacerbated the situation. And as we continue to see this year the endlessly wet weather is making life very challenging for our farmers.
“The latest water quality reports for the Nenagh River catchment, including the Ollatrim and Ballyfinboy rivers and Lough Derg are of serious concern given the threat of deadly algal blooms. “I want this public meeting to be an opportunity for anyone who loves Lough Derg, or depends upon it, to hear from a leading ecologist about what state it is in and what is needed to ensure it does not go the way of Lough Neagh. If your business is tourism or you use the lake for recreation whether swimming, sailing, kayaking, angling or simply spending time on the shore, please come to hear from Dr Roden and to join in the discussion afterwards.”