Exactly two years ago, after a year of devastating algal blooms, Friends of the Earth gathered in the MAC, Belfast, to talk about Crimes Against Lough Neagh. At that event participants collectively wrote a series of demands. These demands have set the agenda for their work on the Lough and are listed below.

Two years on they want to ask what progress has been made on these 5 demands and, secondly, are these demands still the right ones? Is Lough Neagh getting a just and fair settlement? If yes, what progress has been made. If not, why not?

This is the draft agenda for the December 2025 event. Speakers and further details will be updated on this eventbrite page.

Agenda

1.00pm – Lunch

1.45pm – Opening remarks, James Orr

2.00pm – Speakers and presentations (TBC)

2.50pm – Panel discussion

3.30pm – Comfort break

3.45pm – Breakout sessions

4.30pm – Closing remarks, James Orr

4.45pm – Mulled wine (non-alcoholic) and mince pies

A Just Settlement for Lough Neagh

1.Governance – An independent Environmental Protection Agency AND a catchment management authority that is not controlled by vested interests.

2. Ownership – Acquisition from the Earl of Shaftesbury and a new model of community ownership that also enshrines legally enforceable rights of nature for the Lough.

3. Democracy – Participation and deliberation for the wider public such as a Citizen’s Assembly, a People’s Commission for Water, and a Citizen’s Jury.

4. Breathing spaces – No more factory farms, a moratorium on sand dredging, and investment in sewage infrastructure.

5. Transparency – Every organisation with an interest in Lough Neagh must declare that interest and every conflict of interest must be on the table.