Blue-Green Algae - Roles and Responsibilities
What you must do to prevent or reduce blue-green algae blooms.
Landowners/ Land Managers/ Site Operators
You must consider how your waters are being used when assessing risk to people and animals from exposure to blue-green algae.
You are responsible for controlling discharges of water off-site, warning site users, putting up signs and restricting access. You are also responsible for deciding when restrictions can be removed. The local council also has these responsibilities for water they own.
Blue-green algal blooms and scums are natural features of some waters. Increasing shade and reducing nutrients in the water can help reduce risk of algal blooms.
You can use this infographic to increase awareness about harmful algae and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae):
Blue-Green Algae Infographic
NIEA
NIEA provides a supporting role to landowners and operators, through verifying the presence of blue-green algae through photos submitted to the Bloomin’ Algae App or directly to the emergency-pollution@daera-ni.gov.uk, or in some cases through water samples.
It must be highlighted that collecting and analysing a sample provides only a location-specific indication of the presence or absence of algae at that point in time. NIEA will follow internal response procedures for blue-green algae.
For more information on bathing water quality please visit the About bathing water quality page.
The Public
We all have a part to play in reporting suspected blue-green algae blooms and abiding to warnings/guidance signs provided.
For more information please on how to report blue-green algae blooms, please visit What to do if you think you see Blue-Green Algae?
Where there is advice from the landowner, land manager or site operator regarding presence of blue-green algae, site users should heed signage to reduce risk to themselves and animals they have responsibility for.
Inter-Agency Blue-Green Algae Monitoring Protocol
DAERA has worked with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), NI Water, Food Standard Authority, and the Public Health Agency on the production of an Inter-Agency Blue-Green Algae Monitoring Protocol. The protocol describes the roles and responsibilities of both organisations and individuals, as well as how we monitor different types of waterways, depending on usage. It details the DAERA Response Protocol for surveillance and monitoring blue-green algae and outlines the Bathing Water Monitoring in place for 2024.