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500 signatures reached
To: Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins
Introduce a moratorium on sand dredging in Northern Ireland
Declare a moratorium on sand dredging at Lough Neagh and anywhere in Northern Ireland today.
Why is this important?
Sand dredging is killing Lough Neagh. First-of-its-kind research linked commercial sand dredging of Lough Neagh to the toxic blue-green algae blooms, habitat destruction and more.
This kind of mining causes irreversible damage to the Loughs' precious ecosystem. Meanwhile, dredging and construction companies are profiting from Lough Neagh’s destruction.
And the Earl of Shaftesbury - owner of the Lough’s bed and banks - earns a royalty fee for every tonne of sand the companies extract.
When the SDLP minister ignored environmentalists and legalised dredging in 2020, they argued that legalising would be benecifial, however recent news has shown gross violations far beyond limits.
The more these companies mine Lough Neagh for sand, the more this damage multiplies, and with the Shaftesbury Estate having a contract with the mining industry up until 2046, this could go on for decades more.
Stormont has acted on mining before. Earlier this year, it passed legislation banning filthy fracking - only because of relentless pressure from people and grassroots group.
We call on Infrastructure Minister to ban sand dredging today.
Demands for an independent enquiry into the effects of sand dredging have been ignored. Studies have identified deep scars, including 17 metre cavities and long-term disruption to sediment systems, which can release stored nutrients, potentially exacerbating algal blooms.
We reiterate our campaign demands for a moratorium on extraction of our finite glacial sand in Lough Neagh.
🚨 Join the March for Lough Neagh, Sunday May 17th, 12:30pm, The Battery Bar to Ardboe High Cross!!
🚨 And join the Film Festival & Conference in Lurgan the weekend beforehand saveloughneagh.com
This kind of mining causes irreversible damage to the Loughs' precious ecosystem. Meanwhile, dredging and construction companies are profiting from Lough Neagh’s destruction.
And the Earl of Shaftesbury - owner of the Lough’s bed and banks - earns a royalty fee for every tonne of sand the companies extract.
When the SDLP minister ignored environmentalists and legalised dredging in 2020, they argued that legalising would be benecifial, however recent news has shown gross violations far beyond limits.
The more these companies mine Lough Neagh for sand, the more this damage multiplies, and with the Shaftesbury Estate having a contract with the mining industry up until 2046, this could go on for decades more.
Stormont has acted on mining before. Earlier this year, it passed legislation banning filthy fracking - only because of relentless pressure from people and grassroots group.
We call on Infrastructure Minister to ban sand dredging today.
Demands for an independent enquiry into the effects of sand dredging have been ignored. Studies have identified deep scars, including 17 metre cavities and long-term disruption to sediment systems, which can release stored nutrients, potentially exacerbating algal blooms.
We reiterate our campaign demands for a moratorium on extraction of our finite glacial sand in Lough Neagh.
🚨 Join the March for Lough Neagh, Sunday May 17th, 12:30pm, The Battery Bar to Ardboe High Cross!!
🚨 And join the Film Festival & Conference in Lurgan the weekend beforehand saveloughneagh.com