A WEST of Ireland anglers' delegation is meeting the European Commission in Brussels today on the deteriorating water quality in some of Ireland's most important game fishing locations.
The meeting is expected to have a significant bearing on whether the Commission will persist with its threat to bring the Government to court for failing to introduce sufficient controls required under EL regulations on nitrate and phosphate wastes on farm and domestic discharges into waterways. Many of the affected systems are also important drinking water sources.
The delegation comprises representatives of the Carra-Mask and Lough Corrib Angling Federations, the largest angling groups in the region. It is meeting senior officials from Directorate-General XI, which has responsibility for the environment.
It is also due to meet MEPs and may make a submission to the European Parliament's petitions committee, which considers complaints from within member-states and can request the Commission to act on them, if deemed necessary. The committee has already agreed to investigate a formal complaint about the deterioration of water quality in "the great western lakes" - an issue cited by the Commission in its initial threat of legal action.
The meeting's purpose is to brief officials on the latest state of the waterways and on a study on Lough Corrib, one of Europe's most important brown trout fisheries, which was commissioned by the Lough Corrib Angling Federation and compiled by London based environmentalist, Dr Roderick O'Sullivan.
It found that the system is "under severe environmental strain" and State agencies were engaging in "little more than a policy of supervised neglect".
Algal blooms in many areas were increasing due to agricultural effluents and poorly treated or un-treated human sewage.
The extent of environmental strain has been scientifically established but the response at local authority and national level has been marked by a lack of urgency, according to Mr Tony Waldron of the Carra-Mask Federation.
"We all know the cause of the decline. The Lough Conn report by nine semi-state bodies was published four years ago. It found an alarming decline in water quality. To date there has been little apparent change either in farming practices or in upgrading sewage treatment plants, which where identified as the main contributors to enrichment of the waters."
Because of Government inaction following the publication or the report three months ago, DT O'Sullivan and Mr Waldron were asked to pursue the matter at EL
level, a spokesman for the Corrib Federation said.
"In the light of the dangerous and threatening environmental factors the report identifies, we have asked them to seek action from senior EU officials to have its recommendations implemented without further procrastination while there is time to save the Corrib from ultimate destruction."
The Minister for Environment, Mr Howlin, had identified the enrichment of water as the major threat to freshwater lakes and rivers and promised "radical measures", but these had not materialised, Mr Waldron said.
While he acknowledged Mr Howlin's wish to address the problem and attempts to control phosphorus and nitrate waste, he claimed there was reluctance to change, notably within the Department of Agriculture even though it had a key role to play.
The change was required at higher levels of government in changing farm practices and fully adopting EL directives on water.
The federations were not blaming farmers. "We support the long term well being of the farming community, although not at the expense of our water resources.
The difficulties arise from policies whose impact on water has not been taken fully on board."
