Save Lough Neagh campaigners to protest at Belfast City Half Marathon over Moy Park sponsorship

They have launched a petition calling for Moy Park to be dropped as a sponsor of the event

Save Lough Neagh campaigners will be holding a series of protest actions at the Belfast City Half Marathon this weekend to highlight concerns over the sponsorship of the event by Moy Park.

The group has launched a petition for Moy Park to be dropped as a sponsor of the event, stating the poultry producer has been citied as one of the major contributors to ongoing pollution, a factor in the ongoing crisis at Lough Neagh. The petition has reached over 1,400 signatures.

Chief Executive of Belfast City Marathon Claire O’Neill said they “acknowledge the concerns raised.” In a statement, she said event sponsors “undergo a thorough due diligence process” including ratification by their Board.

READ MORE: Lough Neagh fish safe to eat despite toxin discovery, FSA saysREAD MORE: Call for urgent cross-party action to save Lough Neagh

Save Lough Neagh campaigners ran a protest contingent and held banners at the previous Belfast City Marathon, and said they will continue protesting this time at various points of the half marathon course on Sunday, September 21. They will again be joined this time by Friends of the Earth NI, Animal Rebellion, and others.

Pádraig Cairns, from Save Lough Neagh, said: “Our campaign asserts that this agri-food corporation, with a turnover of over £2billion, should not be allowed to greenwash their image by sponsoring Belfast Marathon. As serial polluters complicit in the catastrophe at Lough Neagh, their sponsorship is a stain on the goodwill generated by one of the biggest events in the north of Ireland.

“The Belfast Marathon is a deeply cherished event, one which raises money for a litany of well deserving charities. We are calling on the organisers to drop their affiliation with Moy Park, to stand with the affected people of the Loughshore and those who’s tap water is sourced from the Lough. No greenwashing welcome at the Belfast Marathon. We say “no greenwashing welcome at the Belfast Marathon!”

Cllr Mick Collins from People Before Profit said: “Moy Park is one of the biggest single polluters of Lough Neagh and and it’s also had a bad track record in terms of workers and animal rights and we think they shouldn’t be sponsoring events like this, and it’s something we will be challenging in Belfast City Council.”

James Orr from Friends of the Earth NI added: “We have an environmental crisis in NI and the intensive poultry industry is responsible for some of the worst pollution. Into the air goes vast amounts of ammonia that ends up damaging public health and habitats.

“Phosphorous ends up in water courses and places like Lough Neagh. We need to develop farms not factories and hold these polluters to account.”

Belfast City Marathon Chief Executive, Claire O’Neill, said: “The Belfast City Marathon acknowledges the concerns raised by campaign groups in relation to our event sponsorship.

“Since its establishment in 1982, the ethos of the Belfast City Marathon has always been one of inclusivity, encouraging and celebrating diversity of participation. Each year, the event brings together thousands of runners, volunteers, and supporters, and raises substantial funds for a wide range of local charities. This year alone, we anticipate that the Half Marathon will help raise in the region of £1 million for good causes.