Science · 28 July 2026
Minister orders rescue plan for Lough Neagh eels
Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.
Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has ordered conservation measures for Lough Neagh's European eels, now classed as critically endangered. Yellow eel fishing has been halted after catch quality fell below market standards, and officials are drafting a compensation scheme for permit holders. Fishermen blame algal blooms from 2023 to 2025, zebra mussels, pollution and heatwaves for the decline of a trade run for generations.
Reported by BBC News · How we write briefs