Debate contribution: Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Ms Kellie Armstrong on 30 June 2026.

MLA

Ms Kellie Armstrong

Party at the time

Alliance 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 5653344

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome the opportunity to speak in support of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill. It is timely and important. Miss McIlveen, a fellow MLA for the Strangford constituency, has just spoken. We have the longest coastline of all constituencies across Northern Ireland: we have the Irish Sea and, of course, the beautiful Strangford lough. That means that the Bill is extremely important to me and my colleagues Mr Harvey and Miss McIlveen. The Bill modernises an outdated legal framework and brings it into line with the environmental and economic challenges that we face. In doing so, it supports commercial and recreational fishing, while placing sustainability and the protection of our inland waters at its core. I heard Mr Butler talk about the balance. That balance is essential for me and the Alliance Party. Environmental protection and economic growth must go hand in hand, as Miss McIlveen highlighted. Healthy ecosystems are not a barrier to prosperity; they are a foundation of it. The Bill also contributes directly to the Programme for Government's commitment to protect Lough Neagh and our wider environment. Given the growing public concern about water quality and pollution, that focus is necessary and welcome. I recognise the collaborative approach that has been taken in developing the Bill. It has been co-designed with the fishing industry, angling groups and environmental organisations. That engagement strengthens the Bill and reflects the responsibility that we all share to protect our natural resources. A while ago, we saw that commercial bottom trawling had all but decimated the horse mussel population in Strangford lough. It has since been changed to a special area of conservation. That limits a lot of activity in the lough, which is not a bad thing considering that horse mussels are coming back. We all have a shared responsibility, and I am delighted that those partners have helped to co-design the Bill. At its heart, the Bill is about improving how we manage our inland waters. Sustainable fish stocks are critical not only for biodiversity but for the long-term future of the fishing sector. If managed properly, fisheries support local jobs, sustain rural and coastal communities, contribute to food security and open up access to wider markets. The Bill reflects the realities of the post-Brexit landscape by aligning protections here with those in other UK jurisdictions and the UK Fisheries Act. That consistency is important for standards, enforcement and international confidence in our products. The Bill is built on pillars: the management of inland fisheries and the protection of the marine environment, both of which have been widely consulted on and have strong support. I look forward to hearing how the AERA Committee considers that through its consultation period. The key strength of the Bill is the introduction of clear policy objectives alongside a requirement for an inland fisheries policy statement. That will improve transparency, accountability and long-term planning. Equally important is the shift to an ecosystem-based approach. Moving beyond managing individual fisheries, the Bill recognises the interconnected nature of our rivers, loughs and seas — an approach that is very much in line with Alliance's commitment to evidence-based environmental policy. The inclusion of a national benefit objective is also significant. It ensures that fisheries policy will support not just the environment but local economies, jobs and communities, particularly in rural and coastal areas such as in the constituency that I am delighted to live in and represent. The provisions on aquaculture are another positive step. By clearly defining the sector and enabling the licensing of emerging activities, such as seaweed farming, the Bill supports innovation while maintaining environmental safeguards. I thank the Department and the Minister. Last year, I met the Department and we discussed that. The opportunities for seaweed farming in Strangford lough are wonderful, and the opportunities from seaweed that Queen's University has identified are incredible. We are lucky to have those opportunities on our doorstep, as long as there is licensing and it is properly looked after. Strong policy must, of course, be backed by effective enforcement. The Bill strengthens enforcement powers, increases maximum penalties and introduces fixed penalty notices for some minor offences. That creates a fairer and more proportionate system while ensuring that breaches are taken seriously. I have seen fish kills and pollution in waterways in my constituency, and I want to ensure that everyone involved is prosecuted fairly. Fixed penalty notices are a practical tool. They allow for timely action on lower-level offences without over-burdening the courts while still acting as a meaningful deterrent. If only everybody were acting properly, we would not need to have those deterrents, but we are where we are, and the Bill hopes to improve upon that. Importantly, the Bill strengthens our response to water pollution, including sewage and waste water. That is an issue of real concern for communities across Northern Ireland, and it is right that we take stronger action. The Bill represents progress for fisheries, aquaculture and the water environment. It modernises our approach, strengthens environmental protections, supports sustainable industry and improves accountability. For those reasons, and in line with Alliance's commitment to protecting the environment while supporting sustainable economic growth, I am pleased to support the Minister and the Bill, and I welcome the opportunity for the Bill to go forward to the Committee for further consideration.

886 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:11 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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