Zug Burgundy blood algae now an issue in the Federal Parliament

Dead seagulls and crows: the reason for this is the Burgundy blood algae that has washed up on the shores of Lake Zug. The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (Uvek / DETEC) is now looking at the problem.

The accumulations of Burgundy blood algae (Blutburgunderalge) that washed up on the shores of Lake Zug in February will now be an issue for the federal government. In an interpellation, Manuela Weichelt (ALG Alternative & Green party), a member of the Zug National Council (Nationalrat) , asks various questions about the phenomenon.

Together with the co-signing National Councillors Kurt Egger (Green Party/TG), Niklaus Gugger (Evangelical People’s party EVP/ZH), Marionna Schlatter (Green party/ZH) and Ursula Schneider Schüttel (Socialist party/FR), she would like answers to the reasons for the appearance of the Burgundy blood algae and possible measures that could be taken.

Shortly after the appearance of the Burgundy blood algae in Lakes Zug and Aegeri, it disappeared once again. The Zuger Zeitung newspaper wrote at the time that the increased occurrence of the blue-green algae was due to the persistently fine weather. These algae belong to the blue-green algae, which are cyanobacteria and not true algae. The bacteria, like plants, grows with the help of sunlight.

Has also appeared in other lakes
According to the interpellation, the appearance of the algae in Zug's lakes is not an isolated case. As early as last December, the Zug police reported the appearance of the Burgundy blood alga and urged caution. An increased occurrence of the algae has also been observed in other Swiss lakes, such as the Greifensee (Lake Greifen) or Lakes Lugano, Neuchâtel and Zurich in recent years. The canton of Bern also warned of blue-green algae in the lakes in the summer of 2022.

Burgundy blood algae, here photographed at the Alpenquai in Zug, are clearly red in colour.           Photo: Forest and Game Department/PD
Manuela Weichelt, National Councillor (ALG/Zug).             Photo: PD

The blue-green algae are by no means harmless: they can be dangerous for both humans and animals. Contact with water, and especially swallowing water with high concentrations of the bacteria, can cause health damage to nerves, skin and liver and, in the worst case, can lead to death. Small children and dogs are particularly at risk.

Weichelt and her co-signatories ask the following questions:

• What are the reasons for the increased occurrence of blue-green algae in Swiss waters?
• Is the occurrence of such algae in February unusual? If so, why?
• How many dogs have died in the last 20 years due to blue-green algae in Swiss waters?
• According to newspaper reports, people, and especially children are also at risk to life and limb: does the Federal Council share this concern?
• Must an increase in such blue-green algae infestations be expected? If so, why? If not, why not?
• What measures must be taken to get the problem under control?

The issue has not yet been dealt with in the first chamber, the National Council.