Guest blog by Kenny Bodles, RSPB NI Marine Conservation Officer
What a week it’s been for Northern Ireland’s marine wildlife! After several years of lengthy campaigning, detailed deliberation and extensive evidence gathering, we finally have official confirmation that the Northern Ireland government has designated four new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) for Northern Ireland’s seas.
These new designations are now providing vital protection for some of our most vulnerable marine species and the habitats they rely on.
Of all of the new designations, the flagship success story has to be the new Marine Conservation Zone off Rathlin Island, County Antrim. This is the first of all MCZs designated in the UK to have a seabird species - the black guillemot - as its primary designation feature.
Black guillemots. Credit Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
Thanks to RSPB NI’s expertise on the island, we were able to successfully campaign for an extension of the southern boundary to ensure that the entirety of the species’ foraging habitat was placed under the protection it needs. Alongside this, our long-term monitoring data allowed us to argue that the conservation status of black guillemots should be listed as ‘unfavourable’, meaning government is now committed to restoring the species back to good health. This is a fantastic success story for the black guillemots on Rathlin Island and highlights the value of just some of the work we do on and around this truly unique island.
But that’s not all. Three other marine conservation zones are now protecting seagrass meadows at Waterfoot, Co. Antrim, fragile sea pens and mud communities at Carlingford Lough, Co. Down and the ancient ocean quahog at outer Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim. The latter site, in Belfast Lough, now protects one of RSPBs All Nature Species - the ocean quahog. This marine clam is considered by science to be one of the longest-living species on our planet and some individuals have been found to be over 500 years old.
Ocean quahogs (model). Credit Kenny Bodles
We welcome the new additions to the Northern Irish network of marine protected areas, but much is still to be done. Many of our vulnerable marine wildlife and seabird species remain unprotected and many are still in decline. The future of our marine wildlife depends on meaningful and effective action and the RSPB will continue to call for new protected areas to help conserve, sustain and recover our valuable and unique marine wildlife in Northern Ireland and across the UK.