NEWS

MLAs vow to protect NI's natural habitat
By Steven Moore

Members of the Assembly’s Environment Committee have vowed to do all they can to protect Northern Ireland's natural habitat.
Environmental protection must become a government top priority they stressed during a visit to Derrygonnelly in Fermanagh to have a closer look at the work of the Field Studies Centre.
The MLAs spoke out as the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Group (NIBG) said the province's strategy for protecting wildlife was not working and needed a complete rethink.
Habitats are still being lost despite a series of action plans, with the evidence pointing to continuing loss of wildlife on both land and at sea, the environmental the group said.
Dr Bob Brown, chairman of the group - made up of government and council representatives as well as members from the business and voluntary sectors - said the current strategy would fail to met its target of halting biodiversity loss by 2016.
The Stormont committee, which held its weekly meeting at the Field Studies Centre, praised its host's work on habitat designation and protecting the environment.
Dolores Kelly, the committee chair, said: "We heard evidence from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on their plans for enforcing environmental protection and the Centre demonstrates clear examples of the benefits of a robust environmental plan."

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October 30th 2009
October th 2009