Posted on April 20, 2026
By
The commercial extraction of millions of tonnes of sand from the bed of Lough Neagh may be having “broader and more persistent impacts” than previously thought, according to new research.
A paper published on Wednesday in the Journal of Environmental Management outlines how the area of the lough where dredging is concentrated has undergone “extensive physical alteration”, with “deep depressions” carved into the sediment, lowering the lakebed by up to 17 metres.
Led by Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with Newcastle University, the first-of-its-kind study concludes that disturbance caused by sand extraction is not localised but “widespread across much of the lake ecosystem”.
In recent years Lough Neagh has been plagued by huge swathes of toxic algae caused by a combination of agricultural and wastewater pollution, alongside invasive zebra mussels and rising water temperatures.
Dr Neil Reid of Queen’s School of Biological Sciences, the study’s lead author, said the use of high-resolution sonar mapping meant the work represents “a step change in understanding” the impact of dredging on the lough.
Satellite imagery analysis revealed widespread sedimentation clearly visible from space, with plumes of silt spilling from dredging vessels and kicked up by the boats’ propellers, as well as run-off from landing sites.
The paper says sedimentation is a well-established cause of damage to aquatic ecosystems and a key factor in the decline of freshwater wildlife.
“This study suggests that the effects of sand dredging extend far beyond the point of extraction, influencing the entire ecosystem likely negatively effecting water quality, habitats, and biodiversity,” Dr Reid said.
“For Lough Neagh, the message is clear – if the lake is to recover, management cannot focus on nutrients alone while ignoring physical disturbance.”
He said there was a responsibility on Stormont “to ensure that regulation, monitoring, and enforcement reflect the true scale of sand extraction impacts”.
Sand extraction on the lough was entirely unregulated until 2021, after which when a handful of firms were licensed by the Department for Infrastructure to dredge up to 1.5 million tonnes annually.
Royalties on each tonne of sand extracted are split 50/50 between Shaftesbury Estate of Lough Neagh Ltd, the owner of the lough bed, and Northstone NI Ltd.
Dr Reid said there were practical ways to reduce the environmental footprint of dredging.
“Adjusting suction settings could reduce sediment disturbance while limiting hopper overflow could reduce sediment discharge,” he said.
“Slower vessel speeds and fixed shipping lanes could confine disturbance. In shallow water, avoiding high-thrust manoeuvres or protecting the lakebed could reduce resuspension. On land, covering sand piles and using settlement ponds or vegetation buffers could intercept runoff.”
In an exclusive interview with The Irish News last month, the Earl of Shaftesbury played down the impact of commercial dredging.
He said there was no evidence that sand extraction is causing environmental harm – or at the very least its impact was “exaggerated”.
Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrew Muir told this newspaper in 2024 that if it were found that dredging is detrimental to the environment, he would “not be found wanting in terms of them making recommendations for action associated with that”.
