Assessing progress towards an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas in the Northern Ireland inshore region

Following the designation of four Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in the Northern Ireland inshore region in December 2016, the Department asked the Joint Nature Conservation Commitee (JNCC) to assess the progress of the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) network against Northern Ireland’s marine conservation policy commitments.

The ecological coherence of the MPA network was examined specifically within the context of the Northern Ireland inshore region, but JNCC also assessed Northern Ireland’s contribution to the broader UK MPA network. The report considers whether there are any remaining ecological gaps that could be addressed to further the progress of the Northern Ireland MPA network.