'It's like having an amusement park and not opening it' - algae closures take toll

As locals and visitors make the trip to Northern Ireland's lakes in search of summer sunshine, they are once again facing an unwelcome sight: blue-green algae.The toxic bacteria which can cause skin irritation and sickness in people and animals who come into contact with it, has become an unwelcome feature of recent summers.There are currently 247 algae blooms across Lough Neagh and Northern Ireland's water systems, according to the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, external. Eighty have been confirmed in June and July alone.The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said two of the areas affected are Camlough Lake near Newry and Craigavon Lakes. For one business owner based at Camlough Lake, the return of blue-green algae has had an immediate impact.Karl Toner, who owns a coffee cart on the shore as well as a nearby glamping site and paddleboard hire business, said visitor numbers have fallen sharply since the warning was issued on 13 July. "In the summertime this place really goes off, now the algae has just completely killed it," he said. Toner explained how warm weather would normally bring visitors from across Northern Ireland and beyond to the area, providing a trade boost. "On a good day, there would be hundreds of people here from the morning right through until midnight, swimming and enjoying the lake, but now the place is empty," he said. Rachel and Tilly Turkington, from Derrytrasna, County Armagh, regularly visit Craigavon Lakes for walks and trips to the café, but say they have avoided entering the water because of concerns over its quality.The family are interested in watersports and recently bought a paddleboard, but Rachel said they would only consider using the lake if those concerns were addressed."If this water was cleaner and there wasn't the algae issues, we would definitely bring the paddleboard here," she said.On a recent walk, the pair said they noticed areas where the water appeared stagnant, with green patches and visible blooms.Despite living close to the shores of Lough Neagh, they said recent concerns around water quality had made them more cautious around local waterways."We take extra care and I wouldn't let the dog drink the water just in case," Rachel said.Any spell of sunny, settled weather will bring blue-green algae out in force, although the blooms have felt a little slow to start this year. That has been due to the weather. Algal spores may have turned the water green in places across Northern Ireland, but strong winds and heavy rain have kept surfaces too agitated for the formation of the very large-scale mats we've seen before. And we will see them again. Take Lough Neagh – by scientists' estimation, approximately four decades' worth of phosphorus, the nutrient that stimulates growth, are stored in its sediment. And even as algae consumes that phosphorus, it is being topped up in the water by agriculture, wastewater, un-maintained septic tanks, industry and every household in the catchment that puts phosphorus-containing detergent into the system. That is why addressing nutrient pollution at source is the first point of action in tackling the problem, and why the big contributors – farming and water treatment – are the first port of call. Policies like the Nutrient Action Programme play an important role. But there is no quick fix, and few cheap or easy ones.