Gary McErlain, Chair of The Lough Neagh Partnership, is calling on Minister Muir to urgently reconsider the financial package announced for Lough Neagh fishermen and develop a meaningful support scheme that reflects pre-crisis income levels and the ongoing inability of the industry to operate sustainably.

Gary said: “The financial package announced this week has left us with a lot of questions. Whilst in principle we welcome any assistance being offered, it is extremely disappointing that the support package has been assessed on 2024 income at a time when the industry was already in severe trouble, with earnings at an all time low. .

“The grant assistance offer being put forward bears little resemblance to the scale of loss and hardship endured by the fishing community.”

He continued: “Using 2024 as a baseline is deeply concerning, as it ignores the fact that the livelihoods of fishermen had already been negatively impacted following the algal bloom of 2023.”

He emphasised that fishing on Lough Neagh is not simply an economic activity but a way of life that has sustained families and communities for generations.

“As someone who has fished these waters all my life, I know first-hand the pressures fishermen are under. This announcement gives the impression that industry is not being taken seriously. The scale of the environmental and economic crisis should demand a response that reflects the true losses suffered and the long term damage that has been inflicted on the fishing industry”

“There is a great danger of wiping out an entire fishing culture on Lough Neagh due to the ongoing environmental crisis. We would ask the Minister to reconsider the level of grant being offered to the fishing industry in light of this ecological and financial catastrophe.”