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Lough Neagh Fishermen Face Crisis as Support Package Criticized
20 Dec
Summary
- Fishermen deem £100,000 aid insufficient for profound losses.
- The eel-fishing season was abandoned for the first time in memory.
- Aid is based on 2024 earnings, ignoring prior environmental impacts.
Lough Neagh's eel fishermen have voiced strong objections to a £100,000 financial support scheme, with a seventh-generation fisherman calling for its urgent review. The package was announced after the 2025 eel-fishing season was abandoned, an unprecedented event for the community. Fishermen feel the aid does not reflect the severe economic hardship and loss experienced.
Payments are to be calculated based on brown eels landed in the 2024 season. However, critics argue this baseline ignores the negative impact of the 2023 algal bloom and the overall decline in earnings. This approach has led to feelings that the industry, which represents a generational way of life, is not being taken seriously amidst an ecological and financial catastrophe.
The abandonment of the season was linked to low fat content in the catch, rendering it below customer standards. While the cancellation was unrelated to blue-green algae, the scale of the environmental crisis on Lough Neagh and its economic consequences remain a significant concern for the future of the fishing culture.
