The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), a coalition of twenty-five of Ireland’s leading environmental organisations working on water, has responded to today’s EPA Water Quality report [1] with deep concern, calling on the Government to implement stronger, more urgent measures to restore Ireland’s waterways.
The latest EPA report reveals that nearly half (48%) of Ireland’s surface waters are unhealthy, marking an increase in unhealthy waters from previous years with the percentage of rivers, lakes and estuaries that are unhealthy all increasing.
Despite some improvements in some priority areas on phosphorus, almost half of our rivers (44%), particularly in the south and southeast regions, still exhibit nitrogen concentrations that are too high for healthy waters. This continual overall deterioration highlights the urgent need for more robust policies to address this ongoing water crisis.
The persistent decline in ecological health threatens aquatic habitats and species, including the iconic salmon populations and the endangered freshwater pearl mussel, whose survival depends on clean, thriving waters.
Antóin McDermott, SWAN Advocacy and Communications Manager, stated:
“Despite government rhetoric, the real improvements needed to restore our rivers, lakes, and seas to good health just aren’t happening after over fifteen years of decline. When will the government finally treat this as the crisis it is? Rather than focusing on getting pollution derogations from the European Commission, they need to prioritise far stronger measures, delivered with the full urgency it requires.
Measures on agriculture are just not sufficient to address the considerable nitrogen pollution in our waters; sewage pollution can and needs to be tackled with much more urgency; we need the out-dated Arterial Drainage Act reformed, as promised, to prevent further damage to our river habitats; and we need robust regulation and safeguards against damage and pollution from forestry at a time when it is planned to expand significantly.”
Without strong and urgent actions like these, and more, we’ll be in the same place in three years again, or worse again, while our wildlife continues to suffer from the consequences.”