Lough Neagh jet-ski ban introduced as council hears reports of anti-social behaviour and harm to wildlife

A report to a recent meeting of the council’s Operations Committee said that previously, access had been available at a slipway for jet-skis at Antrim lough shore. At Cranfield , in Randalstown, access for users was provided by a slipway adjacent to a disused jetty. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Belfast News Letter, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.

Councillors were informed, however, that the jetty in Antrim had to be closed last summer due to “blue-green algae issues”. During a discussion behind closed doors at the committee meeting, members were told that the local authority receives “numerous” complaints annually regarding jet-ski use at the shore of Lough Neagh in Antrim. Minutes of the meeting say that these include problems for boat owners who have vessels moored at Antrim Boat Club with jet-ski wakes said to “affect moorings”.



The proximity of jet-skis to open water swimmers and paddle boarders as well as “confirmed reports of anti-social behaviour, including substance misuse in the area” were also highlighted. Advertisement Advertisement Reports of “negative impact” on wildlife within the Six Mile River were also noted. The council minutes indicated that following an independent water safety report commissioned by the council, the use of buoys to create “designated zones” for swimmers and a �.