Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots and the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle Gildernew have launched a ground-breaking report entitled ‘Northern Ireland State of the Seas’.

The report, produced primarily by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), is the first of its kind to cover the marine environment in Northern Ireland.

Introducing the Report, Edwin Poots said:

“This is a key time in managing our marine environment. We have an extremely rich and varied coastline with the marine species in our seas contributing to over half the overall biodiversity in Northern Ireland. Other important marine resources include fisheries, tourism, shipwrecks and beaches. Our economy is reliant on sea transport and on our ports. There is great potential for the emerging marine renewables industry which could exploit the tidal, wave and offshore wind around our shores. Northern Ireland is home to the first grid connected, commercial-scale marine current turbine in the world.

“However, there is increasing competition for space within our waters. For this reason, my Department is bringing forward legislation to introduce marine planning for the first time. Good marine planning decisions will be reliant on sound scientific evidence.”

The report, which covers 14 different aspects of marine environmental quality ranging from fish and foodwebs to marine litter and underwater noise, documents the clean up of areas like Belfast Lough.

The clean-up relates to the reductions of some of the traditional pollutants like heavy metals and nutrients through the improved treatment of sewage, industrial and agricultural effluents. It is anticipated that the changes will help to make further improvements to bathing waters.

The report also points to threats to native biodiversity from ocean transport and boating which can introduce alien species.

In terms of commercial fisheries, the report reveals that Irish Sea herring stock has improved to a point where it is considered stable, while haddock spawning is on the increase. There is evidence that Dublin Bay prawns and plaice are being harvested sustainably, while some traditionally fished species like cod and whiting are at historically low levels. If the trends are to be halted and reversed it is widely accepted that the management of fisheries must evolve towards an ecosystem-based approach, rather than trying to manage fisheries on a stock-by-stock basis.

The report concludes that there is a need to further improve understanding of the marine environment by more joined-up working between Government Departments and the holistic management of Northern Ireland’s coastal and marine area.