You can search for protected areas within Northern Ireland by following the link below. Here you will find associated guidance and literature.
Before you start
If you know the name of the designated site and want to know more about it, you can search for it by typing the name in the search box. You can search by designation type, feature and county. You can also combine searches. For example, if you would like to find all Earth Science related ASSI’S in County Down then you would filter the ASSI type 'ASSI' then the Feature 'Earth Science' and then the county 'Down'.
Additional information
If you are unsure of what the protected areas are in your area, to assist you the NIEA Natural Environment Map Viewer depicts natural environment protected areas and other biodiversity and geodiversity areas of interest. You can also look for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Northern Ireland inshore region in the DAERA Marine Map Viewer.
Related articles
- ASSI Guidance for Public Bodies/Competent Authorities
- Coastal Areas of Special Scientific Interest
- Conservation Management Plans (CMPs)
- European Marine Sites - Marine Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas
- Introduction to Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) for Northern Ireland’s Special Areas of Conservation
- Marine Conservation Zones
- Marine historic environment
- Marine Protected Areas
- Marine Ramsar sites
- Monitoring marine habitats and species
- Portrush Coastal Zone
- Shipwrecks
- Special Areas of Conservation
- Special Areas of Conservation for Harbour porpoise
- Special Protection Areas