Are Wildfowlers to pay?

A 37-point plan approved by the NI Executive to tackle ongoing issues at Lough Neagh has been published, however, some still believe a change of ownership is needed. What could the impact to wildfowlers be?

The action plan, produced by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), was given the green light by Minister Andrew Muir’s Executive colleagues on Wednesday 17 July.

The action plan was developed to deal with the environmental issues on the Lough, especially the huge algae blooms we have witnessed over the last few years similar to those experienced in the seventies. However, the Minister had been waiting on sign-off from the Executive on 17 of the 37 proposed actions.

Among its plans are several reviews and consultations, including a review of pollution penalties and research initiatives to investigate potential solutions to the algae problem on the Lough.

Excess nutrients in the water from various sources including agriculture, NI Water, and septic tanks combined with warm weather all contribute to the significant blooms of cyanobacteria that continue to impact everyone and everything around the Lough.

As someone who lives around the Lough, I have seen a noticeable decrease in the number of shooters there. Last year, the number of people wildfowling was affected by the algae, given that toxins in the water can impact the health of gundogs used to retrieve quarry. Symptoms in dogs can appear within a few minutes of exposure or sometimes hours, commonly including vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, disorientation, trouble breathing, seizures, and blood in faeces. While there is no known antidote for the toxins, prompt veterinary treatment is critical to give any chance of recovery. 

Simultaneously, there is scepticism from the Lough Neagh community as the owner Lord Shaftsbury holds talks over its future. The manager of the Lough Neagh Partnership believes the Lough should be brought into community ownership and assets, such as the shooting rights, should be used to raise revenue towards the Lough.

Some will be reassured that should ownership of the Lough be transferred to the Partnership, it would seem shooting can continue - but at what cost? Lord Shaftsbury already charges for a lease on the Lough which includes paying VAT, but the question remains whether there would be further steep increases if the Lough Neagh Partnership gained control. Equally, would wildfowling areas be limited, or even the dates you can shoot on the Lough be restricted?

Given the many conservation projects undertaken around the Lough by shooting clubs and individuals, any increase in leases may negatively impact the great work wildfowlers do by simply pricing them out of being able to shoot on the Lough for a few birds for the table.

Following the changes to the legislation in 2009 around restrictions to the use of lead shot in wetlands, wildfowlers should have little to fear from the 37-point plan or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) once it is set up. Our activities have very little environmental impact by only taking a sustainable harvest of the quarry species, which is controlled through bag limits imposed by the various clubs.

Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI) continues to keep a watching brief on Lough Neagh, recently taking part in the Lough Neagh Partnership Webinar where we heard Dr Peter Doran call for the “rights of nature”. In principle, no one would have an issue with this, but with the reduction of wildfowl numbers on the Lough as warmer temperatures cause birds not to migrate from the continent, CAI is concerned that if this is adopted, it could be weaponised to force restrictions or to end wildfowling on the Lough.

You can watch the webinar here.