Sharing details of the Lough Neagh recovery plan, Minister Muir praised the work of The Rivers Trust in the development and delivery of the Sustainable Catchment Programme. This DAERA–funded programme works directly with local farmers to implement practical, water-friendly measures on farms to tackle pollution at the source and improve water quality across Northern Ireland.
Hosted online, The Rivers Trust international conference – titled A Bloomin’ Disaster: The Causes and Costs of Blue-Green Algae – brought together experts from across Ireland, UK, Europe and beyond to examine the rising threat of blue-green algal (BGA) blooms across the UK and Ireland and to explore catchment-based solutions.
Professor Katrina Campbell of Queen’s University Belfast delivered a compelling and informative presentation on the health impacts of BGA, underlining the risk these toxic blooms pose to both animals and humans. Her research highlighted the growing concern around public exposure, especially in recreational waters and rural areas.
The packed agenda featured various speakers, including representatives from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wessex Water, the Wye & Usk Foundation and SEGES Denmark, while Eliot Taylor discussed his work on BGA in South Africa and Malawi, showcasing innovative approaches and international learnings.
Attendees also heard how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are proving essential in preventing pollution from reaching our rivers and lakes. Through shared experiences and case studies, speakers highlighted how working with nature, such as restoring wetlands, planting buffer strips, and improving soil health, can deliver long-lasting results for water quality and should be further mainstreamed into planning.
Alongside these approaches, the use of technology, such as the Blooming Algae app, was showcased, empowering the public to report algal blooms and support citizen science efforts to monitor water health in real time.
The Rivers Trust All-Ireland Director Mark Horton chaired the morning’s key session, reflecting on lessons learned from Lough Neagh, and praised the opportunity to collaborate and learn at an international level.
“The increasing scale of blue-green algae problems globally means no one organisation or country has all the answers. We need to work together, share knowledge, and develop solutions rooted in science,” Mark said.
“Our conference has convened experts and practitioners from around the world, offering a timely and useful opportunity to understand more about the causes and impacts of BGA and how we can work collaboratively to improve and protect our precious freshwater resources. There are no quick fixes – this is a problem long in the making and it will take long term, systemic change to manage effectively.”
Conference discussions emphasised that while warmer temperatures, excess nutrients and low rainfall are key drivers of algal blooms, the root causes lie in land use and sewage management practices that have built up over decades. The conference stressed the need for long-term, cross-sectoral, catchment-wide solutions backed by strong community engagement and ongoing research.
The core message from today’s event is that as the frequency and severity of BGA blooms continue to increase, The Rivers Trust remains committed to collaborative action and science-led strategies that develop and deliver solutions to protect and improve rivers and communities.