Lough Neagh Fisherman’s Co-Operative Society
These eels are rightly famous. They gained EU Protected Name status in 2011 after a long campaign by the Fisherman’s Co-Operative. These tenacious creatures make their way from the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, along the Gulf Stream to the mouth of the Lower Bann, and then into Lough Neagh where they stay 10 to 15 years before returning home.
They are exported within the EU, particularly live to Billingsgate in London and to the Netherlands and Germany. Their creamy flesh is a real delicacy. That’s why more than 400 tonnes of them are produced every year from Lough Neagh using sustainable practices.
The lough is home to the largest wild eel fishery in Europe and the men who fish them use traditional methods passed down through the generations. The Co-Operative is keen to expand into more hotels and restaurants across Ireland.
