Bathing restrictions at Benone Beach lifted as algae ‘no longer a risk’

By Gráinne Ní Aodha and Jonathan McCambridge (PA)

Restrictions against swimming at one of Northern Ireland’s most popular beaches have been lifted.

The public were advised against swimming at Benone Beach last week ahead of the bank holiday after blue-green algae was detected.

The beach on the north coast, with its seven-mile stretch of sand and dunes, is popular with tourists.

On Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) lifted the bathing restriction.

The Department said in a statement that monitoring had indicated that blue-green algae was “no longer a risk”.

The statement added: “The bathing water operator, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, has been informed and temporary advice against bathing signage has now been removed.

“The public is advised to check the NI Bathing Water Quality Dashboard and on-site signage for the latest updates.”

The announcement comes amid growing concerns over the spread of the algae in waterways across Northern Ireland.

The department recently said the algae had been detected more than 100 times across Northern Ireland since the start of the year.

Most attention has focused on Lough Neagh, where noxious blooms of the algae covered large parts of the UK’s largest freshwater lake by surface area for the third consecutive summer.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser running off fields and from wastewater treatment are said to be a contributory factor in the blue-green algae blooms.

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel species is also understood to have played a role, and warmer water temperatures due to climate change is another factor.