AQW 18054/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 27/04/2021
Answered On Date: 19/05/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail on the outcome of the 2016 Areas of Special Scientific Interest condition target.

Answer:

‘Valuing Nature: A Biodiversity Strategy for Northern Ireland to 2020’ was published by the then Department of the Environment in 2015. This did not include an ASSI condition target.

The strategy did contain a commitment to undertake Protected Site Monitoring as an ongoing action. NIEA continues to carry out an annual programme of monitoring of features within Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs). We report ASSI condition annually through the Northern Ireland Environmental Statistics Report.