Northern Ireland State of the Seas Report
Geographical coverage
| Geographical scale of the assessment | National |
|---|---|
| Country or countries covered | United Kingdom |
| Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name |
Northern Ireland |
Geographical scale of the assessment
National
Country or countries covered
United Kingdom
Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name
Northern Ireland
Conceptual framework, methodology and scope
Assessment objectives
The report follows on from a UK-wide report published in 2010 entitled ‘Charting Progress 2 – The State of UK Seas‘. The Northern Ireland State of the Seas report complements Charting Progress 2 and highlights the issues specific to Northern Ireland. This report will enable us to identify where our knowledge is good and where further work is needed to comply with the new Marine Strategy Framework Directive requirements.
Mandate for the assessment
This is the first time a comprehensive report on the state of the seas around Northern Ireland had been published. It acknowledges that it is a key time in management of Northern Ireland's marine environment with the introduction of 3 new pieces of legislation: EC Marine Strategy Framework Directive, 2008; UK Marine and Coastal Access Act, 2009; and, the proposed Northern Ireland Marine Bill, which will be introduced to the NI Assembly in 2011.
Conceptual framework and/or methodology used for the assessment
Unknown
URL or copy of conceptual framework developed or adapted
System(s) assessed
- Marine
- Coastal
Species groups assessed
Ecosystem services/functions assessed
Provisioning
- Food
- Water
- Genetic resources
Regulating
- Air quality
- Climate regulation
- Moderation of extreme events
- Regulation of water flows
- Regulation of water quality
- Waste treatment
- Erosion prevention
Supporting Services/Functions
- Habitat maintenance
- Nutrient cycling
- Primary production
Cultural Services
- Recreation and tourism
Scope of assessment includes
Drivers of change in systems and services
Yes
Impacts of change in services on human well-being
Yes
Options for responding/interventions to the trends observed
No
Explicit consideration of the role of biodiversity in the systems and services covered by the assessment
Yes
Timing of the assessment
Year assessment started
2009
Year assessment finished
2010
If ongoing, year assessment is anticipated to finish
Periodicity of assessment
One off
Assessment outputs
Report(s)
Appendices
17_appendices.pdf
Chapter 10: Contaminants in Biota
10_contaminants_in_biota.pdf
Chapter 11: Litter
11_litter.pdf
Chapter 12: Energy and Underwater Noise
12_energy_and_underwater_noise.pdf
Chapter 13: Maritime Archaeology
13_maritime_archaelogy.pdf
Chapter 14: Bathing Waters
14_bathing_water_quality.pdf
Chapter 15: Ports and Harbours
15_ports_and_harbours.pdf
Chapter 16: Discussions and Conclusions
16_discussions_and_conclusions.pdf
Chapter 1: Introduction
1_introduction.pdf
Chapter 2: Marine Biodiversity
2_marine_biodiversity.pdf
Chapter 3: Invasive Alien Species
3_invasive_alien_species.pdf
Chapter 4: Fisheries and Aquaculture
4_fisheries_and_aquaculture.pdf
Chapter 5: Foodwebs
5_foodwebs.pdf
Chapter 6: Eutrophication
6_eutrophication.pdf
Chapter 7: Seabed Integrity
7_seabed_integrity.pdf
Chapter 8: Hydrographical Conditions
8_hydrography.pdf
Chapter 9: Contaminants
9_contaminants.pdf
Ministers Foreword and Executive Summary
0.1_contents__ministers_forewords_and_executive_summary.pdf
Communication materials (e.g. brochure, presentations, posters, audio-visual media)
Journal publications
Training materials
Other documents/outputs
Tools and processes
Tools and approaches used in the assessment
- Geospatial analysis
- Indicators
Process used for stakeholder engagement in the assessment process and which component
Key stakeholder groups engaged
AFBI, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dept. of the Environment, Loughs Agency, Food Standards Agency, University of Ulster, Dept. for Regional Development
The number of people directly involved in the assessment process
Incorporation of scientific and other types of knowledge
- Scientific information only
- Resource experts (e.g. foresters etc)
Supporting documentation for specific approaches, methodology or criteria developed and/or used to integrate knowledge systems into the assessment
Assessment reports peer reviewed
Yes
Data
Accessibility of data used in assessment
Most of the underpinning data is freely available.
Policy impact
Impacts the assessment has had on policy and/or decision making, as evidenced through policy references and actions
Many of the datasets identified in the report are crucial for the assessment of long term changes that may occur due to climate change. It is clear that a spatial planning process is required in order to manage our marine environment both holistically and sustainably. This will be introduced in 2014 under the Northern Ireland Marine Bill. The production of this report is a major milestone both in terms of initiating implementation of the new legislation and in strengthening relationships between Agencies and Departments. All Northern Ireland Departments and Agencies with marine responsibilities will continue to build on this co-operation in the monitoring and management of our marine environment.
Independent or other review on policy impact of the assessment
No
Lessons learnt for future assessments from these reviews
Capacity building
Capacity building needs identified during the assessment
Where other organisations can demonstrate the quality of their scientific data, partnership approaches to monitoring will be further explored. The Seasearch Programme has shown that with appropriate training and supervision, amateur divers and volunteers can be used to build the evidence base.
Actions taken by the assessment to build capacity
Network and sharing experiences, Communication and awareness raising
How have gaps in capacity been communicated to the different stakeholders
Knowledge generation
Gaps in knowledge identified from the assessment
There is no specific chapter reporting on climate change. Where adequate quality can be demonstrated, data from non government sources should be used in future assessments.
