Analysis of waterbird population trends for Northern Ireland’s sea loughs: assessing the potential impacts of aquaculture and disturbance. Part 1 – Strangford Lough and Carlingford Lough

This study aims to produce the first sector-level analysis of Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) data in Northern Ireland, on two of the sea-lough sites that host aquaculture activities. This will improve understanding of the fluctuations in numbers of waterbirds within the sites and inform the consenting of operations and assessment of development plans on these SPAs.