At one hundred and fifty square miles, Lough Neagh is larger than any other freshwater lake in Britain or Ireland and holds enormous cultural and economic significance for the communities who live and work in and around it. However, the management of the Lough has been problematic, and controversies stretching back decades have surrounded the environmental damage caused by poorly regulated sand extraction, the deterioration of the Lough's hinterland habitats such as peatlands, the decline in fish populations, the dramatic loss in breeding waders and serious water pollution. Recent media reports and observations about the condition of the lough have prompted calls for ‘public ownership.’ This briefing aims to provide some clarification around the current ownership of the lough, outlining why this is problematic, and offers some suggestions for alternative ownership models that could produce better environmental and social outcomes.
Authors: Dr Brona McNeil and Dr Ciara Brennan
