Latest testing by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has concluded that fish from Lough Neagh is safe to eat, with current food safety advice remaining unchanged. The FSA's 2025/26 sampling programme, which assessed fish between May 2025 and March 2026, supports these findings.
Food businesses, such as commercial fisheries, are reminded to adhere to good processing procedures, including the proper removal of intestines, liver, and gills, where cyanotoxins may accumulate. Recreational anglers are also advised to ensure fish are properly gutted and fillets rinsed with clean water to prevent contamination.
Philip Kennedy, Head of Food Safety Policy and Delivery at the FSA in Northern Ireland, stated that these results offer "further reassurance that fish from Lough Neagh are safe to eat." The FSA has been monitoring fish from the Lough since a significant blue-green algal bloom emerged in summer 2023.