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Fishing was stopped last year<\/a> when the quality fell short of the market requirement. <\/p>\n Last month, the Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir announced a series of measures for the Lough Neagh eel fishery, to ensure long-term recovery of stocks.<\/p>\n The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said the new measures, external<\/span><\/a>, are informed by scientific advice and reflect the department’s statutory responsibilities to protect the European eel, which is classified as critically endangered.<\/p>\n Muir said work is being progressed “as a priority” to develop a temporary cessation scheme to support permit holders affected by the closure of the yellow eel fishery.<\/p>\n Gary McErlain has his own thoughts<\/a> about the collapse in the eel population.<\/p>\n “You can point to a whole host of factors such as zebra mussel, climate change, whatever else. We can see very clearly our Lough Neagh fly is down, the pollution is up,” the eel fisherman said.<\/p>\n “You had the algae bloom of 2023, ’24 and ’25, and I would say last year was worse than any.”<\/p>\n