AQW 7060/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 16/09/2020
Answered On Date: 21/10/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, considering puffins are threatened with extinction due to their precipitous and ongoing population decline, whether the species will be added to the Northern Ireland Priority Species List which is currently under review.

Answer:

Northern Ireland’s main Atlantic puffin breeding site, with 98% of the local population, is protected as part of the Rathlin Island Special Protection Area.

My officials are currently undertaking a review of the Northern Ireland Priority Species List, and puffin has been included on the draft list. Once the updated list has been peer-reviewed, in taxonomic tranches, my officials will publish the revisions to the Northern Ireland Priority Species List on the DAERA website.