Loughs Agency uses an evidence-based management system to control and protect the shellfisheries and aquaculture in Lough Foyle and Carlingford. The scientific information we gather informs our management decisions and policies.
Foyle and Carlingford contain a wide range of habitats and species which can be sensitive to disturbance. Lough Foyle holds one of the last large populations of the European native oyster. The oysters are the subject of a biodiversity Species Action Plan.
Nationally and internationally, there is an increasing emphasis on protecting biodiversity and maintaining healthy ecosystems. This means Loughs Agency must take more than just fishery stock into consideration in our fisheries management work.
As well as fish stock surveys, we conduct estuary water quality sampling, aquaculture surveys, and seabed habitat monitoring. We undertake a number of research projects, both in-house and in conjunction with other organisations and academic institutions.