Priority Species for Conservation Action in Northern Ireland

In Biodiversity In Northern Ireland: Recommendations to Government for a Northern Biodiversity Strategy the Northern Ireland Biodiversity Group recognised the need to develop lists of Northern Ireland priority species (which require conservation action) and species of conservation concern (which require monitoring because they may need conservation action in the future).

Draft lists of Northern Ireland species of conservation concern (SOCC) and Northern Ireland priority species were first published in Northern Ireland Biodiversity Strategy Proposals (1999). The SOCC list was subsequently reviewed, from which a new list of Northern Ireland priority species (.pdf41KB) was published in 2004.

A review of priority species at a UK level has recently been completed and as a consequence the Norhern Ireland SOCC and Priority Species lists will also be reviewed. When this review is completed, the new lists will appear on this page.

Some species are poorly recorded and there is not sufficient information to assess their status. This especially true for invertebrate species groups such as spiders and flies and lower plants such as lichens. In addition, most groups contain individual species which have been considered data deficient i.e. likely to require conservation action but are insufficiently recorded. For these poorly recorded species groups and data deficient species increased recording effort is required.

For many priority species conservation action will be undertaken through existing UK species action plans, the management of designated sites or as a part of Northern Ireland Habitat Action Plans. However, some priority species will require Northern Ireland species action plans or all-Ireland species action plans.