Agricultural runoff is destroying Ireland’s waterways, not only jeopardising their natural habitats but also our drinking water. So where is the action?
People are probably aware of the recent crisis in Lough Neagh in the North, but unaware that Lough Carra in Mayo is also a similar radioactive green. This is only one of several in the country.
Just in recent days, 20,000 fish were killed on the River Glyde in Co Louth caused by agricultural contamination. This is one of several such events in recent years.
In the recent election in Denmarkthe risk agriculture is posing to their water sources was a major talking point, leading to cross-party support for action. Meanwhile in Ireland we have just approved more blank cheques to farmers with no expectation of reform or action in return.
The next time an election comes along, you absolutely need to be asking how any candidate is going to tackle the ongoing desecration of our waterways rather than the current turning a blind eye from Government. It’s not just the environment at risk, but our very access to safe drinking water as a nation.
https://i.redd.it/qnz5xomdzl5h1.jpeg
Posted by Confident_Reporter14
28 Comments
Laws are in place that prohibit spreading slurry at certain times and within exclusion zones around water sources. The problem is enforcement…there simply isn’t any.
Dirty farmers
That Party House is causing problems again.
Absolutely shameful and the IFA throwing their full weight behind fighting measures that would help. Honestly I hope the good farmers of Ireland will force a change there. Otherwise it’s pretty much hopeless.
What irritates me about posts like this is the whole blanket “all farmers” narrative. I would say majority behave correctly. Especially as most probably get contractors to spread slurry. This is done using dribble bars so the old style horsing it out the back of a tank doesn’t happen any more. I would gather that there are outlets, not just from farms but homes, businesses etc that just run straight into these water courses.
Farmers own the rural politicians in this country so they do nothing. Even beyond that we’re a country of strict rules and lax enforcement
I have a friend who investigates water quality around the country, farmers will actually come out and harass him once they know what hes there for, sometimes holding guns. Farmers are genuinely the worst offenders for irelands ecological decline.
You’re not meant to drink it untreated
People aren’t going to care about ecology until their economy is functional. And for many people, the economy doesn’t work for them. They need to put food in their kids. And ffg have them convinced that immigrants, rather than investors, are making that harder.
We need clean waters, but we need to get some of the food dunnes throw in the bin into homes. And some of the energy data centers use for memes into granny’s radiators.
Agricultural runoff is currently being tackled by local authorities and has been for the past two years. The Water Action Plan unlocked funding for Co. Councils to hire dedicated staff to carry out farm inspections. It will take time before the impact is seen on water quality because that’s how it works.
Some water bodies are so polluted that the only way for them to achieve Good status is to drastically reduce the head of cattle being farmed within the catchment. Enjoy getting farmers to agree to that.
In rural areas some septic tank systems are fkd….most people in that situation can’t face the expensive upgrade so short term damaging solutions are done.
Many towns also have poor waste water treatment
If you test for pollution source yes it probably is a lot of agri run off……But sheesh folks….a lot of that is our agri policy as dictated by politicians..
My neighbour is an inspection worker for water quality….He and his department know of the bad areas the problems….But if they come in hard , it’s likely his budget will be cut next year. He keeps.his job by cajoling and probing for long enough till suspect does something to improve or his boss moves him on to another locale ……..Even at that he is pissingnin wind….large areas of new land get pulled into intensive farming every year and weather is more atrociously bad every season.
Simple technical solutions like everyone says work for a while until they don’t work …..Thats the intensive farming road map since 1950s in iteland.. Hammer and expand until you hit some limit…Employ some hack until it doesn’t work, spin some trial of new hacks until they don’t work
We barrack farmers for water quality but look ar rhe shocking town drainage schemes, the urban run off, rhe ad.hoc drainage and river excavation…….
Reduce your consumption of animal products and you reduce the damage done to our
environment
https://ourworldindata.org/land-use-diets
Its an awkward change that most people wont do despite knowing its the best solution.
Stop voting FF/FG.
I am so sick of farmers holding the country to ransom. They live off the back of the tax payer and do whatever the fuck they want. Times are changing, it’s increasingly difficult to make money in farming, but that’s business! With the cost of labour and competing against hyperscale farms in europe, they don’t stand a chance, and that’s just business. It’s not their god given right to make money from farming by any means necessary. These tactics are similar to that of the mob in Italy… only thank fuck they don’t have the brain power to be as well organised. Still, they make our lives hell blocking the roads with their big machines every now and again, and then dumping slurry in our water too, pricks.
This cowardly government is beholden to a small number of rural independents so don’t expect the farmers to be taken on over their pollution of our country.
Hahah action .. in Ireland .. have you been here long we don’t do action ??!!
The IFA are destroying this countries environment.
Have you considered ignoring it until it goes away?
Just for anyone who isn’t in water engineering (I know I know, few and far between), Irelands fresh water drinking supply chain and infrastructure would be a cause for national emergency in every other country in the world.
For the most part (on a per person basis, not an area basis), Irelands water supply is almost hand to mouth. Yesterdays rainfall we are consuming today, to put it in simple terms.
Love getting down voted for stating facts
https://preview.redd.it/ocik2s2sgm5h1.jpeg?width=1081&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=604cd7ccda9645278d656d217f1cd26389037e0a
Not to take away from the seriousness of your overall point, Lough Carra is not covered in the same algea sludge that Lough Neagh is.
The green on the aerial photo is the light reflecting off the yellow/white marl mud that the lake is famous for. It’s not covered in algea, though it does have it’s fair share of run off from farmland.
New Zealand faced similar problems from farm run off, and has brought in a very comprehensive package to deal with this effectively.
[New Zealand essential freshwater package](https://www.mpi.govt.nz/agriculture/farm-management-the-environment-and-land-use/protecting-freshwater-health)
A friend went kayaking in lough Ramor 2-3 weeks ago. At one point had to paddle through thousands of dead fish, couple of feet deep. He said the smell was horrendous.
Anyone talking about farmers’ impact in Ireland is anathema. I agree that the government should ne looking at this but there’s a lot to be said about the culture- which in my own humble opinion is enabling bad behaviour
The important thing is, that we’ve recognised there’s a problem now.
As consumers need to be more conscious of what we are eating and how it’s impacting the environment. Listened to a great podcast from the UK and they advised , one chicken breast per person per week and one portion of beef every two/three weeks. If we don’t buy it’s not viable to keep producing.
Nothing will happen because the worst offenders at the top have realised it is way easier to just let us fight online. You are either in Environmentalist Camp or the Farmer camp.
We have been convinced that keeping ourselves and our local areas healthy is a political position, even though farmers also suffer (arguably to an even greater degree) from pollution and climate change.