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Marine strategy must deliver action for seabirds, charity says

Louise CullenAgriculture and environment correspondent, BBC News NI
News imageGetty Images A close-up image of a white gull with a yellow beak.Getty Images

A new Marine Protected Area (MPA) strategy for Northern Ireland "must deliver real, tangible action", a bird charity has said.

The updated strategy, launched by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera), should mean areas like Strangford Lough will be better protected in five years' time.

Forty-eight MPAs have already been identified as part of an "ecologically significant" network of places "deserving of enhanced protection".

Dr Sharon Thompson from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSBP) NI, said it was a "critical moment" but designating areas was only the first step.

"They must be properly managed, monitored and enforced if we're to secure a future for our sealife and seabirds," she said.

The strategy sets out how the network will be managed until 2030 in order to safeguard key habitats and species, close remaining ecological gaps and support nature‑based solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

News imageRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds NI (RSBP NI) Dr Sharon Thompson is pictured standing in front of some trees but they are blurred. She is a middle aged woman with grey, curly hair. She is smiling at the camera and is wearing a pair of circular glasses, a navy blazer and a teal shirt.Royal Society for the Protection of Birds NI (RSBP NI)
Dr Sharon Thompson says there needs to be action to protect seabirds under a new marine strategy

Thompson said that recent reports of dead and dying seabirds washing ashore in large numbers from Spain to Scotland, is "devastating".

"It also shows how urgently we need to build resilience so these birds can withstand unpredictable shocks," Thompson added.

As the MPA strategy is moved to the implementation phase, Thompson said officials need to "properly and critically asses the pressures affecting or contributing to the declines of seabird populations".

"Once identified we need to implement appropriate management measures to bring about seabird recovery," she added.

"What matters now in Northern Ireland is action, designating MPAs is not the end but the starting place for ensuring our protected areas are properly managed, monitored and enforced."

What is a Marine Protected Area?

A Marine Protected Area is a defined site managed for long-term nature conservation.

There are six types of MPAs in Northern Ireland:

  • Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) designated under the Habitats Directive
  • Special Protection Areas (SPAs) classified under the Wild Birds Directive
  • Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs)
  • Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ)
  • Ramsar sites (wetlands)
  • Strangford Lough, formerly Northern Ireland's only Marine Nature Reserve
News imageGetty Images An aerial view of Strangford Lough. It shows Strangford village on one side and Portaferry on the other.Getty Images
Strangford Lough in County Down is among the places named in the strategy

The Daera minister Andrew Muir said the strategy marked an "important milestone" in protecting Northern Ireland's "outstanding" marine environment, and that it represented a wide range of habitats.

"In Strangford Lough, we have seagrass beds that support overwintering Brent Geese, rocky reefs with kelp forests and a range of species from starfish, anemones and crabs to seals and dolphins," he said.

"The North Channel is home to the Harbour porpoise, and our north coast, the maerl seaweed beds at Red Bay and rare sponges at Rathlin Island are all fantastic examples of the rich biodiversity that our marine protected areas are helping to safeguard.

"Seagrass, kelp and native oysters are all also examples of blue carbon habitats, that demonstrate the role that the marine can play in meeting our climate targets."

The first strategy, launched in 2014, created the network of sites.

Its progress was assessed by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in 2018.

It found Northern Ireland was "very close" to delivering "an ecologically coherent network".

The strategy aligns with the draft Nature Recovery Strategy, which was published in January.