Lough Neagh – The Eye Of Capitalist Climate Destruction

Barry Murray ☭ Lough Neagh, just outside Belfast, has often been described as the “eye of the bear” that is the outline shape of the island of Ireland.

It is the largest fresh-water lake in Ireland or England. The lake is 20 miles long, about 10 miles wide and is about the size of Malta. It is the source of 40% of the North’s drinking water. Lough Neagh has also supported a large fishing industry, including an eel fishing cooperative. Sand is dredged illegally from the bed of the lake. For generations, tourists and local people have enjoyed the pleasures of walking, swimming, and many other activities around this lake. Abundant wildlife is a strong feature of this area.

All that started to change in the early Spring of 2023 when the Blue-Green Algae was discovered in the lake. It is a toxic algae that killed pets and wildlife in the area. It was a great media story, portrayed almost like it was something from a horror movie, which in fact it is, but sadly also a further sign of the destruction of nature and our climate. The same toxic blue-green algae has been recorded in many other lakes and waterways throughout Ireland.

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