A scientific study by Queen's University Belfast and Newcastle University finds suction dredging of sand from Lough Neagh causes environmental harm. The research, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, analyses remote sensing data and propeller wash calculations.

The study identifies impacts on algal blooms, species loss, and water clarity. Dredging effects reach beyond extraction sites and affect water quality, habitats, and biodiversity across the ecosystem.

Previous work from 2022 detected scarring on the lough bed, cavities up to 69 feet deep, and a 17-metre drop in bed levels linked to extraction.

Lough Neagh Sand Traders stated to the BBC that the new research is incorrect. The group referred to its own studies, which found no adverse effects from extraction rates up to 1.5 million tonnes per year.

Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, licenses the activity through the Shaftesbury Estate and receives annual profits from it. He has not commented on the new study.

The Earl previously claimed no evidence connects sand extraction to ecological damage or blue-green algal blooms. Researchers state these claims lack support from their results.

Dozens of jobs link to the lough's sand reserves.