The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has opened a public consultation on a draft Nature Recovery Strategy, a comprehensive plan designed to protect and regenerate Northern Ireland's natural environment for future generations.

Launched by Minister Andrew Muir, the strategy outlines how the department plans to meet national and international biodiversity commitments through to 2032. The move comes amid stark findings regarding the health of local ecosystems. Recent reports indicate that 12% of species in Northern Ireland are currently threatened with extinction, and only one out of 49 priority habitat types is considered to be in a favourable conservation state.

The draft strategy focuses on five core strategic objectives aimed at transforming how government, industry, and the public interact with nature. To ensure the plan's success, DAERA intends to establish a Nature Recovery Forum to oversee its implementation across the country.

In addition to ongoing initiatives, the department has identified several new actions for 2026, including:

• Developing a new All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (2026-30).

• Publishing a dedicated Tree Planting Action Plan and a Plastic Pollution Plan.

• Launching the first Clean Air Strategy consultation for Northern Ireland.

• Publishing findings from the 2022-2025 Northern Ireland Countryside Survey. Launching the public consultation, Minister Muir said: "Northern Ireland has some of the world's most beautiful landscapes and precious habitats. Our society continues to exert growing pressures on the natural environment, making it imperative to adopt a collective and comprehensive approach to reverse and prevent further decline. This Strategy has been developed by my Department to provide support not only for designated sites but for the wider countryside as well."

The Minister continued: "Nature can recover if we start recognising its value, stop doing things that harm it, and treat it with the respect it deserves. While we have a long way to go to halt and reverse current trends we can take heart from recent conservation successes, such as the breeding wader recovery project in the Antrim Hills and Lough Erne, the peatland restoration project at Mullaghcarn, and the Life-Raft project to protect native species on Rathlin Island. These initiatives demonstrate how collaboration and leadership can deliver practical action to halt and reverse the decline of nature.

"I look forward to receiving input from stakeholders and the wider public on this proposed Strategy, to help drive decisive action to on restoring and regenerating biodiversity so that future generations can live in a thriving natural environment."

The consultation period is open until 18 March 2026, providing an opportunity for citizens and organisations to shape the final policy.