Mudflats at Strangford Lough
Marine Conservation Zones, also known as MCZs, are areas of designated marine habitat in Northern Ireland (NI) which aim to protect the unique species that live in them. They are managed by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), which has legal responsibilities to ensure the areas are protected under the Marine Act (Northern Ireland) 2013. The protected species and habitats within these sites are referred to as Priority Marine Features (PMFs) and are of national significance to Northern Ireland.
MCZs 'contribute to an ecologically coherent UK network of MPAs as well as wider biodiversity commitments at North-East Atlantic and global level.' - DAERA
MCZs are part of a wider protection framework, known as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which provide protection to other features through different legislation, such as the Birds Directive (protected through Special Protection Areas) and the Habitats Directive (Special Areas of Conservation). The diagram below summarises the network of MPAs in addition to MCZs.
Summary of Marine Protected Areas in Northern Ireland
There are 5 MCZs in the inshore region of NI which are outlined on the map below. These are: Rathlin, Waterfoot, Outer Belfast Lough, Strangford Lough and Carlingford Lough. These sites were designated in 2016, with the exception of Strangford Lough which was designated in 2013. Two further MCZs were designated in 2019, called Queenie Corner and South Rigg, both located within NI's offshore waters.
Locations of Marine Conservation Zones around Northern Ireland (Data source: DAERA/JNCC).
Rathlin MCZ
Rathlin Island is located off the north coast of NI and is popular with tourists in the summer months, with a small community inhabiting the island. The area is designated for two key features:
Black guillemot; and
Deep sea bed.
Black guillemot uses the steep cliffs for nesting areas, which allow protection from predators and also great access to the sea for feeding. The seabed is also more than 200m deep here and due to fishing gear unlikely to reach these depths, the seabed is thought to be mostly undisturbed.
Black Guillemot (Source: Creative Commons License)
Waterfoot MCZ
This MCZ is located along the Antrim coast in NI within a small bay. The site is designated for seagrass habitat that provides several valuable ecosystem services including:
Mitigating CO2 emissions through photosynthesis;
Stabilising sediment in the area by trapping sediment between root structures; and
Providing habitat for marine species.
Seagrass is vulnerable to human disturbance, and the best protection from damage is to ban anchoring and dredging activities.
Seagrass at Waterfoot (Source: DAERA)
Outer Belfast Lough MCZ
Belfast Lough is one of NI's busiest coastal inlets and the MCZ is located in the outer lough which is more exposed to the elements. The site is designated for the presence of Ocean quahog which is a bivalve mollusc. They are filter feeders with two shells joined together just like mussels and oysters. The oldest Ocean quahog in Belfast Lough is estimated to be around 220 years old. This site has a very high density of this species suggesting they are highly productive here. Management measures such as no anchoring or fishing will help to conserve this site.
Ocean quahog buried in sand (Source: DAERA)
Strangford Lough MCZ
Strangford Lough was NI's first MCZ designated in 2013, which was previously designated as a Marine Nature Reserve. The Lough contains a wide variety of habitats including reefs, kelp beds, and horse mussel beds. It is by far the most diverse marine habitat in Northern Ireland. This is due to the unique tidal flow that enters through the southern inlet of the Lough called the Narrows. Deep channels and large areas of intertidal mudflats provide habitat and feeding grounds for a range of species. The Lough is also an important breeding site for the common seal, which is the biggest colony in Ireland.
Carlingford Lough MCZ
Below the low water mark in Carlingford Lough, white lobe shell and sea pens are present, which is the primary reason for the designation. The soft mud is very stable here at this location due to the Lough being sheltered from waves incoming from the Irish Sea, allowing species to thrive. The name of sea pens comes from the look of a quill pen and they hold themselves in place using their anchor, called a peduncle.
Seapens in Carlingford Lough (Source: DAERA)
Queen Corner and South Riggs MCZs
Both these sites are less accessible to people in NI, however that should not reduce the importance of their role in enhancing the MPA network. As these sites are located offshore, they are at risk of damage from fishing and offshore development. It was therefore good news that these sites were designated in 2019 to ensure any human activities do not impact the sites. Similar to Carlingford Lough, both these sites are designated for sea pen communities, sub-tidal muds, and burrowing crustaceans such as the Norway Lobster.
Are the MCZs working?
'The current suite of Marine Protected Areas in the Northern Ireland inshore region is very close to delivering an ecologically coherent network in Northern Ireland.' - JNCC (2018)
In 2018, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) reviewed DAERA's progress on the MPA network in NI. Although the results were mostly positive, some gaps in species and habitat protection were identified. Some of the key takeaways from this report include:
All but one habitat/species is represented at least once (Native Oysters are missing from the MPA Network).
7 sub-tidal habitats have less than 10% of their total known extent protected in MPAs, which includes sublittoral coarse sediment.
6 habitats and 19 species are not yet replicated in the network (i.e. they are only designated within one MPA site).
The future of MCZs
As mentioned in the JNCC review, more work is to be completed to ensure the protection of all PMFs. Additional areas are being considered by DAERA to establish MCZs at these areas:
Outer Ards (linked to the Strangford Lough biogenic reef restoration plan)
North Coast (Sabellaria spinulosa reef)
North Channel (East Antrim coast, Common skate)
This process includes collecting information on the PMFs and identifying potential boundaries of sites. MCZs are reviewed every 6 years, allowing management plans to be updated to ensure the species and habitats are afforded suitable protection. Some of the management measures which can be used are outlined below.
Potential management measures for MCZs
How are impacts on MCZs assessed?
For any proposal or development that may have an impact upon PMFs within a MCZ, an assessment is required. The objective is to ascertain whether the activity would have a negative impact on the site. The assessment process is broken into 3 steps.
'Is the activity capable of affecting (other than insignificantly) the protected features of the MCZ?'
Screening
This first step screens the project or activity if it requires an MCZ Assessment after considering the type of work, the protected MCZ features and the distance from the project. For a project to be screened out, the competent authority must be content that the project is not capable of affecting the MCZ directly or any ecological or coastal process that the MCZ relies up.
Stage 1 Assessment
If impacts cannot be ruled out at Screening, the Stage 1 Assessment must be carried out. This stage contains two tests. The first test determines whether the activity will not 'hinder' the conservation objectives for the site. If this cannot be ruled out, the second test checks whether an alternative approach to the activity would reduce the risks to the conservation objectives such as using another location or conducting the activity in a different manner.
Stage 2 Assessment
If the project still has the potential to hinder conservation objectives, a Stage 2 Assessment is carried out. For an activity to go ahead at this stage, the activity must demonstrate a greater benefit for the public than the risk of environmental damage, and also demonstrate the ability to implement environmental enhancement equivalent to the environmental damage caused by the project. If one of these requirements cannot be met, the project would be rejected.
Conclusion
This article summarises the unique marine habitats and species located around the coast of NI. They are protected within a series of MPAs, which include 5 MCZs within the inshore coastal region of NI. In order for these sites to be maintained in favourable condition, continued regulation of the sites, such as carrying out MCZ Assessments, is vital. This is in addition to continued monitoring and review to ensure management measures are effective. It will be interesting to see how the future work on protecting our coasts unfolds with potentially more PMFs being included in the MPA Network.
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