Environmentalists hold ‘wake’ for Lough Neagh over toxic algae bloom

Environmentalists have held a wake to mark the “death” of the UK and Ireland’s largest freshwater lake as they accused polluters of causing a huge bloom of toxic blue-green algae.

Activists dressed in black and carried a makeshift coffin to the shore of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland on Sunday, September 17.

A wreath with the name of the lough was placed atop the black coffin during an event on Ballyronan beach, Co Londonderry, organised to highlight the scale of the ecological damage.

Lough Neagh supplies 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water. It also sustains a major eel fishing industry.