§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria his Department applies when considering for designation as areas of special scientific interest those locations that are primarily being considered for their(a) ornithological and (b) marine life values; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MossThe criteria used when considering for designation of areas of special scientific interest for ornithological reasons are largely based on the numbers of each species of bird using the site. For marine sites an assessment is made of the naturalness, diversity, size and rarity of the habitats occurring at the site.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice he has received about the predicted scale of deterioration in respect of areas of special scientific interest due to(a) non-enforcement of management agreement conditions and (b) lack of monitoring; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MossManagement agreement conditions arc generally respected, and there is little evidence of significant deterioration of the scientific interest of areas of special scientific interest due to non-compliance. However, it is accepted that, if management agreement conditions were not enforced, the scientific value would be likely to deteriorate significantly.
Monitoring is important in the management of ASSIs, but in itself it has no direct effect on whether or not a site deteriorates.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which areas of special scientific interest have suffered deterioration since their designation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MossNo declared areas of special scientific interest have deteriorated to such an extent as to lose the feature(s) which qualified them as such at declaration.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many management agreements with landowners and land occupiers have been established in(a) areas of special scientific interest and (b) prospective areas of special scientific interest; and if he will make a statement.
629W
§ Mr. MossAt present, 31 management agreements have been established with landowners and land occupiers in areas of special scientific interest, and there are five agreements for prospective areas.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans or machinery exist to monitor the protection of areas of special scientific interest in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. MossConservation plans which will set out the monitoring requirements of individual areas of specific scientific interest are currently being prepared for some of the largest and most important sites, and it is planned to extend these to cover all areas by 1997. A trial monitoring exercise has just been completed, and it is planned to extend this work. In addition, it is intended to recruit more staff to help with the monitoring and management of ASSIs in the near future.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish the next tranche of areas of special scientific interest to be designated in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which areas of special scientific interest(a) have been designated in Northern Ireland (b) are being examined for possible future designation.
§ Mr. MossA list of declared areas of special scientific interest is set out in the following table. Other sites are being examined for possible future designation, but it is not our policy to publish these. It is the Government's intention to declare the remaining sites known to qualify as ASSIs by the year 2001.
630W
Number Site name 1 Carrickbrawn 2 Gortnagory 3 Moneygal Bog 4 Garry Bog 5 Teal Lough and Slaghtfreedan 6 Black Bog 7 Glenarrif 8 Cleggan Valley 9 Monawilkin 10 Lough Beg 11 Beagh Big 12 Garvros 13 Moneendogue 14 Lergan 15 Drumlisaleen 16 Inner Belfast Lough 17 Glenburn 18 Strangford Lough Pt 1 19 Ballymacormick Point 20 Strangford Lough 21 Kiltubbrid Lough 22 North Woodburn Glen 23 Dunloy Bog 24 Strangford Lough Pt 3 25 Moninea Bog 26 Fairy Water Bogs 27 Annacramph Meadows 28 Rathlin Island—Coast 29 Rathlin Island—Ballygill North 30 Rathin Island—Kinramer South 31 Rathlin Island—Ballycarry 32 Loughkeelan 33 Horse Island 34 Dernish Island
Number Site name 35 Sheep Island 36 Corraslough Point 37 Lough Neagh 38 Lackan Bog 39 Innishroosk 40 Slievenacloy 41 Crockaghole Wood 42 Glenmore Wood 43 Ness Wood 44 Ervery Wood 45 Drumlea and Mullan Woods 46 Altmover Glen 47 Strabane Glen 48 Owenkillew and Glenelly Woods 49 Deroran Bog 50 Portmore Lough 51 Banagher Glen 52 Culnafay 53 Pettigoe Plateau 54 Garron Plateau 55 Upper Lough Erne—Crom 56 Knockballymore Lough 57 Kilroosky Lough 58 Summcrhill Lough 59 Burdautien Lough 60 Cuilcagh Mountain 61 Mill Lough 62 Killymacken Lough 63 Derryleckagh 64 Magilligan 65 Slieve Beagh 66 Ballynahone Bog 67 Upper Lough Erne Galloon 68 Teal Lough Part II 69 Murlough 70 Upper Lough Erne—Belleisle
§ Mr. MacKinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what environmental impact assessment is being carried out on actual and projected engineering works in and around the environs of Strangford lough; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AncramThe Government are conscious of the high conservation value and the protected status of Strangford lough and its environs both as an area of outstanding natural beauty and area of special scientific interest. Any engineering operations currently undertaken or proposed by the Department of Agriculture on the designated sea defences on Strangford lough or on designated watercourses discharging into the lough arc subject to rigorous assessment of the environmental impact. Where any environmental effects are considered significant, a full environmental statement will he prepared and made available for public comment, before the designs for any proposed works are finalised and works commence.