TOURISM promoters and anglers are being backed by Greenpeace, which has demanded immediate action by the Department of the Environment and local authorities following reports of toxic blue-green algae on Lough Derg on the River Shannon.
This follows an investigation into the death of thousands of bream during the Easter holiday weekend and the reported death of three dogs at Castle Lough on the Tipperary side of the lake in recent weeks. Tipperary North County Council has warned bathers not to use the lake.
Greenpeace yesterday demanded radical steps be taken to stem pollution from agriculture and sewage. They have also written to the Minister for the Environment stressing the need for coordinated preventive action throughout the Shannon catchment.
The finding of toxic algae is proof that thin lake has suffered over the last 30 years, according to Ms lva Pocock, a Greenpeace campaigner.
The organisation has also written to the Minister for the Marine requesting a copy of the report on the fish deaths and a copy of the report commissioned by the Minister from his Department, the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, the Central Fisheries Board, the ESB and the Marine Institutes on a possible strategy for the coherent management of coarse fish.
The chief officer of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, Mr Eamon Cusack, told The Irish Times the board had been actively pursuing the problems of algae blooms and the build-tip of phosphates in rivers and lakes since 1985.
"When we get fine weather we get large blooms which are of concern to bathers and animals who might consume the algae".
He added: "At the moment we have no evidence to suggest that there are large quantities of blue-green algae, but obviously we are concerned that the lake is in the state it is in.
"We are assured by the Department of the Environment and the local authorities that schemes worth £30 million to clean the lake will be implemented following the recommendations of the EPA", he said.
Water from the area tested at Cork Regional Technical College showed poison known as Anatoxin A.