Campaigners urge tougher penalties as NI water pollution fines questioned

Campaigners say fines for water pollution in Northern Ireland are not deterring offenders, as figures show 63 fines were handed down between 2020 and 2024 against 4,202 confirmed incidents. The time period also saw thousands of pollution events recorded by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). In response, the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) is consulting on whether fixed penalty notices should be introduced, which would allow polluters to be fined without the lengthy process of prosecuting them in the courts.

Friends of the Earth said unless there was a more effective deterrent there would be "more and more of these shocking crimes against water". While headlines have highlighted blooms of potentially toxic blue-green algae in Lough Neagh linked to long-term pollution, the issue spans Northern Ireland’s waterways beyond the lough. Daera said it and the NIEA take the issue seriously, with NIEA investigations pursued for reported incidents and offenders identified where possible. James Orr from Friends of the Earth described the figures as revealing "an epidemic in relation to how we're treating our rivers, lakes and sea loughs" and noted fixed penalty notices—already used for matters such as dog fouling or illegal parking—have both advantages and drawbacks. "We can't have these cases dragged through the courts for years and years and then a pathetic fine introduced at the end," he said. "On the one hand we would be quite encouraged that we could simplify these processes. On the other hand, we need the penalty to reflect the seriousness of the crime. This is not like parking on a double yellow line, this is much more serious." Under current rules, the maximum fine that can be handed down is £20,000. Orr called for this limit to be scrapped and for an independent Environmental Protection Agency to oversee enforcement. The Daera consultation on fixed penalties is also asking whether the maximum fines should be increased to £50,000 in magistrates' courts and whether the limit should be removed entirely in Crown courts.

All 63 fines ranged from £200 to £10,000, with six exceeding £5,000. From 2020 to 2024, 96 incidents were deemed high severity and 542 medium, with the remainder classified as low. People who use the waterways have voiced frustration at ongoing incidents. In June, anglers on the Moyola River raised the alarm after the river turned brown, an event they attributed to discharge from industry. Maurice Dorrity, who has fished the Moyola for decades, said the problem has not improved and described the impact on aquatic life. "I had a meeting on the bank of the river 30 years ago [to discuss] the same problem and it’s not got any better; it’s still the same. It has a devastating effect on the fish life. On the bed of the river the fish depends on the invertebrates, small insects to sustain their life, just like we need the ground to grow our crops. It clogs up all that invertebrate life on the bed of the river and it means the fish are not getting the food they require." The Moyola incident occurred as public concern about water quality persisted across Northern Ireland.

SDLP councillor Denies Johnston reported the Moyola pollution episode to the NIEA and urged a two-pronged approach to governance. "There must be a two-prong response, we must incentivise good practice and punish infringements," she said. "Until we clamp down on those who are disregarding the advice, ignoring regulations and putting their own selfish interests ahead of our environment, our waters will continue to run orange (as was the case in the Moyola in July) and green (as in Lough Neagh)." Daera said, beyond fines, other enforcement tools such as warning letters and notices are available, and strengthening environmental governance remains a top priority for Minister Andrew Muir. Clement Cuthbertson, a local councillor, emphasized that investment in infrastructure is also crucial to stop pollution. "There needs to be investment on the network," he said. "Our towns and our villages are expanding all the time, but to be fair to NI Water they are still working on the original pipeworks that could be 40 or 50 years old." A separate incident south of Dungannon in September led to sewage spewing into the River Rhone; the NIEA said the incident was caused by wipes and rags disposed of incorrectly. While officials stressed that pollution can stem from multiple sectors, the episode underscored the need for robust infrastructure and responsible waste disposal practices as Northern Ireland works to reduce water pollution across its waterways.