Northern Ireland’s Biodiversity Strategy, what is it and why does it matter?

Guest blog by Ruby Free Campaigns and Communications Officer, RSPB NI  

Northern Ireland’s environment is diverse and iconic; however, it needs protecting and restoring more than ever.  

In 2002 the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy was launched. This strategy made recommendations for local action, to assist the delivery of biodiversity conservation on a Northern Ireland wide basis. The strategy aims to safeguard wildlife habitats, species and natural features, however since the strategy’s creation, even with further changes, (the most recent review being 2013/14), we’ve lost an incomprehensible amount of Biodiversity. In fact, just last week more than 113 species were added to the Priorities Species List, bringing the total number to 594, after its first update in more than a decade.

The nature crisis doesn’t just affect wildlife, it affects all of us and with 11% of species at risk of extinction here in Northern Ireland, there is an urgent need for adequate action to kickstart the journey towards a #NaturePositiveNI, and this Biodiversity Strategy redevelopment is our opportunity to make things right. 

After the Convention on Biological Diversity late last year, there is a new Global Deal for Nature that aims to see 30% of land protected by 2030. We want DAERA to reflect this framework in their new NI Biodiversity Strategy, but unfortunately we fear it will not be ambitious enough and won’t correlate the aims and ambitions in the deal that Northern Ireland is signed up to.  

When the draft Biodiversity Strategy is launched for public consultation, we need YOU to add your voice, asking that it is ambitious for nature’s recovery.  

Help us stand up for nature by adding your name to our upcoming open letter to DAERA, demanding tougher actions are laid out to restore biodiversity. We will keep you updated via our campaigns update and other streams of communication.  

With an ambitious biodiversity strategy, we could adequately respond to the fact that: 

• 43% butterfly species have declined 
• Over a quarter of NI birds are of High Conservation Concern 
• Over a quarter of mammals are at risk of extinction  
• Seabirds could be gone from our shores by the end of the century  
• 36% of the features in NI’s Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) are in poor condition 
• just 1 out of 21 lakes are in good quality 

To read more about the state of nature in Northern Ireland, and what RSPB NI believes we can do to change things by 2030, read our Decade of Action Report. 

We want Northern Ireland’s government departments to implement vital measures that halt and reverse nature loss, not a strategy that is weak, and allows nature to carry on declining at an alarming rate.  

 A recent poll, conducted by LucidTalk on behalf of RSPB NI, proves that the Northern Ireland public strongly supports the calls from environmentalists and conservation organisations for targets in law to tackle biodiversity loss. 

The results show that a very high proportion of people (84%) in Northern Ireland want stronger protection for nature here. It demonstrates that most people recognise that nature here is in crisis, and that they believe that we need much stronger laws in place to save our precious wildlife. 

Northern Ireland ranks 12th worst out of 240 countries for biodiversity loss and must take strides towards a nature positive society in this shared global crisis. 

Nature is in crisis. Together we can save it. 

Will you help us? 

Look out for more information coming soon on how you can take part.