Northern Ireland ministers have agreed an action plan aimed at tackling environmental problems at Lough Neagh.
Noxious blooms of blue-green algae covered large parts of the lake last summer and affected other waterways and beaches. The algae has returned this year.
Lough Neagh - a freshwater lake - supplies 40% of Northern Ireland's drinking water and sustains a major eel-fishing industry.
Minister for the Environment Andrew Muir developed the action plan in an attempt to deal with the various environmental issues at the lake.
He had been awaiting the sign off from the Stormont Executive to implement the blueprint. The plan contains 37 actions, 17 of which needed the full support of ministers.
Mr Muir said the approval was the first step on a journey towards the long-term rehabilitation of water quality in the lough.
"I welcome and am grateful to my executive colleagues for supporting the plan I presented and recognising Lough Neagh as a priority," he said.
"The publication of the full Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan will be a significant step towards improving water quality, reducing blue green algae and ensuring we can rehabilitate the lough to a healthy status, enjoyed by generations to come.
"The action plan is not a wish list, it is a detailed, science-led, proportionate and ambitious set of actions that will make a tangible difference to our waterways.
"I must be clear, however, that there are no quick fixes, it will take many years, if not decades to see substantial recovery, such is the depth and complexity of the problem," Mr Muir added.
DAERA Minister @AndrewMuirNI has described today's approval by @niexecutive of the 37-point Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan as the first step on a journey towards the long term rehabilitation of water quality in Lough Neagh. More info: https://t.co/32VRZKjjuA pic.twitter.com/Kl1buyCDva
— DAERA (@daera_ni) July 18, 2024
Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser running off fields is understood to be a major contributory factor in the blue-green algae blooms.
The spread of the invasive zebra mussel species is also believed to have played a role in the blooms, as they have made the water clearer, allowing more sunlight to penetrate, stimulating more algal photosynthesis.
Climate change is another factor cited, with the highest water temperature at Lough Neagh recorded last June.
