Debate contribution: Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Miss Michelle McIlveen on .
- MLA
- Miss Michelle McIlveen
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 30 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5653337
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The DUP broadly welcomes the Bill. As has been said, it provides an opportunity to modernise legislation that, in some areas, has remained largely unchanged for decades. The Bill strengthens the protection of our fisheries, improves the regulatory framework for aquaculture and enhances the management of our water environment. No one would deny that those are important objectives. Our rivers, lakes and coastal waters are among our greatest natural assets. Worthy of note is the fact that, although our aquaculture sector is small in comparison with that in other jurisdictions, it makes a really important contribution to local employment and food production, particularly in rural and coastal communities, such as the community in my constituency of Strangford. A modern legislative framework is required in order to provide certainty while enabling sustainable growth.
Although we support the overall direction of travel, I think that is appropriate to reflect on the concerns that have been raised and ensure that the legislation is proportionate, practical and capable of delivering its intended outcomes. A recurring theme is the importance of balancing environmental protection with the realities facing those who work in the fishing and aquaculture industries. No one disputes the need to protect our waterways. Clean rivers and healthy fish stocks benefit everyone. Regulation, however, must be evidence-based and proportionate. Placing unnecessary administrative burdens on businesses that are already operating in very challenging economic circumstances needs to be avoided. The aquaculture sector supports high environmental standards as it is. Businesses depend on healthy aquatic ecosystems. There is, however, a need for accompanying clear guidance and support and for regulatory consistency and prompt decision-making. Delays, uncertainty and excessive bureaucracy will undoubtedly discourage investment and undermine confidence in the sector. There is also a need for assurances from the Department that the powers in the Bill will be exercised in a transparent and proportionate manner. I have made the point previously about the use of secondary legislation, and the Bill contains a number of enabling powers that will ultimately determine how many of its provisions will operate in practice. There can be good reasons for taking that approach, particularly where technical detail is involved, but there is also a real need for there to be appropriate Assembly scrutiny. Subordinate legislation should not become a substitute for proper democratic accountability. Consultation and engagement must be undertaken before regulations are introduced, and I cannot overstate the need for stakeholder engagement. I will now talk about the Bill's proposed enforcement powers. Effective enforcement is clearly necessary if any legislation is to have credibility. Illegal fishing, environmental damage and deliberate pollution must all be dealt with appropriately. With strong enforcement powers, however, comes an equally important responsibility to ensure that those powers are used fairly, consistently and proportionately. Some of the higher levels of fines, for example, will exceed what some fishing vessels make in a year, and that needs to be considered. Public confidence depends not only on effective enforcement but on enforcement being exercised fairly and consistently. There is widespread concern across Northern Ireland about the condition of many of our lakes and rivers, and there are a vast number of factors that contribute to water quality challenges. The Bill represents one way of addressing those problems, but legislation alone will not resolve them. Improving water quality requires coordinated action across Departments, investment in infrastructure and meaningful engagement with farmers, landowners, local councils and environmental organisations. It also requires honesty about where responsibility lies. Too often, discussions about water quality focus exclusively on agriculture, while ignoring long-standing deficiencies in waste water treatment capacity. If we are therefore serious about improving our aquatic environment, every source of pollution must be addressed. New legislative powers are meaningful only if the Department has the resources, the expertise and the personnel necessary to implement them effectively. That applies right across the board: to licensing, inspections, monitoring, scientific assessment and enforcement. I recognise both the importance of protecting our natural environment and the importance of supporting productive industries that provide employment, food security and economic opportunity. Those are not, and should not be seen as, competing priorities. Good environmental stewardship and economic prosperity can and should go hand in hand. It is a balance that needs to be struck correctly, requiring pragmatism over idealism. The DUP has consistently argued that environmental policy must be practical, proportionate — a word that I have used quite a lot in this speech — and based on sound science. We believe in protecting the environment because it is the right thing to do, but we also believe in supporting businesses, farmers and fishermen, because they all contribute so much to our rural economy. If implemented sensibly, the Bill can achieve both objectives.
Whilst concerns remain about the extent of delegated powers, the practical implementation of regulatory provisions, departmental capacity and the need for continued stakeholder engagement, we can continue to address those issues as the Bill progresses. The DUP is content to support the Bill at this stage. We look forward to scrutinising it in the Committee.
840 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Awaiting analysis
This record has not been analysed yet. It is not counted in any total until it has been assessed.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reviews every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.