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The Western Regional Fisheries Board has received a number of observations from fishery officers and complaints from angling groups over the past week of algal accumulations on Lough Corrib. The reports have come from many areas such as Oughterard Pier, Derrymoyle, Annaghadown Pier, Inchagoill, and Golden Bay.
accumulations which to the casual observer have the appearance of an unsightly scum vary in extent and intensity and are caused by cyanophyes or blue green algae. The particular algal species involved have been identified by the Boards Senior Environmental Officer, Kevin Rogers as predominantly Gomphosphaeria, and Microcystis and in one instance both of the above in association with Anabaena. One unconfirmed report from the Oughterard area linked the death of young horses to the presence of the water blooms and indeed it is known that some of the algae can produce toxins. The algae are present in the open lake but are more dispersed due to the more exposed conditions prevailing. The increased frequency and severity of such blooms is linked to excessive nutrient inputs entering the lake and highlight the ongoing need for investment in wastewater treatment infrastructure and pollution control. The warm weather of recent days gave rise to conditions favourable towards bloom formation. Water transparency in the open lake by contrast (Lough Corrib) is relatively satisfactory and during the past week secchi disc transparency readings of 13 ft, 15ft and 17ft were recorded from Lough Carra, Lough Corrib and Lough Mask respectively. Gomphosphaeria was implicated in an algal blooms on Lough Corrib in 2002 and 2003 and Microcystis in 2005, and indeed these species are always present but only bloom under specific conditions.
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