By Joe McCann
A PARTNERSHIP has been developed in a bid to protect Arctic Terns which nest on Cockle Island off the coast of Groomsport.
Ards and North Down Council and the National Trust will construct a floating raft on which the birds can lay their eggs. Numbers have been decreasing in recent years due to the loss of safe nesting places because of rising sea levels.
The council agreed to the partnership as a way of strengthening its biodiversity commitments and said the island, which supports several hundred pairs of Arctic and Common Terns, had come under increasing threat from rising sea levels and tidal surges that wash away nests as well as wider ecological pressures following significant losses to bird flu in 2023.
Under the proposed collaboration, the National Trust will introduce a floating nesting raft to provide a safer, elevated breeding space for the birds. The council will support the project by providing a mooring near the island, secure off-season storage, assistance with launching and recovering the raft each year and routine safety checks to ensure it remains secure.
At a recent meeting of the council’s Environment Committee, councillor Joe Boyle said it was a chance for the council to once again demonstrate its commitment to biodiversity.
Councillor Alistair Cathcart said North Down MLA Peter Martin and councillor James Cochrane have been working with the Discover Group and the National Trust, as well as Anthony McGeehan, ‘a local man who’s the most enthusiastic man I think I’ve ever heard from in relation to conservation’.
“Anthony is really passionate, has done terrific work and has raised for some time the plight of these arctic terns,” said Mr Cathcart. “They’re extraordinary birds, they fly all the way around the world and it’s a pleasure that we have them here in the borough, but they have been under threat for some time.
“They’re not entirely sure where the threat is coming from, whether it’s from some rats, from otters, from seagulls, but it’s important that we do work to try to address this and try to preserve as much as possible.”
Mr Cathcart asked some questions regarding the use of a raft to protect the birds, to which a council officer said a floating raft would help because the National Trust had identified rising tides and sea surges in the many recent storms having washed away traditionally safe nesting areas.
Mr Cathcart continued: “I think the last time they counted there were 250 Arctic Terns recorded, so it’s great to see such a level of stability among these birds and absolutely we should be doing what we can to address that and I think we need to monitor that to make sure that it isn’t just the rising tides and keep an eye out for anything else such as other predators to protect the terns.”
Alliance councillor Alex Harbinson asked if councillors would be able to get a report back on how the raft was faring after nesting season and said: “My fellow councillor John Hennessy and former councillor Hannah Irwin have also been engaging with this particular issue and I think it’s a fantastic thing that we can do for these birds and very worthwhile. I absolutely trust the National Trust to do a very good job.”
