How seabirds are helping Northern Ireland’s economy

PICTURESQUE: Rathlin Island. Picture: Simon Patterson /RSPB

October 2011: The importance of conservation to Northern Ireland's economy has been underlined in a report by RSPB. It was also revealed conservation and wildlife related activities on Rathlin Island accounted for 9.3 full time equivalent jobs.

The report confirms that ‘modern conservation is also big business'.

‘In addition to directly delivering wellbeing benefits though ecosystem services, preserving the natural environment provides significant benefits to income and employment at local and national levels,' it says. ‘Conservation work stimulates activity within a variety of economic sectors such as agriculture, construction and tourism, as well as providing a diverse range of direct employment opportunities.'

Worth billions of pounds to local and national economies
The report also states that ‘spending by visitors on trips to nature reserves and green spaces is worth billions of pounds each year to local and national economies. This type of economic stimulus can be of particular benefit to areas that otherwise offer only narrow scope for employment opportunities. Nature tourism is also going from strength to strength in the UK , with increases in visits to RSPB reserves and the natural environment far out-performing current trends in general tourism'.

Several case studies were cited, including the effect of the RSPB Seabird Centre on Rathlin Island. According to the report, while the direct conservation work itself provided nearly three full-time equivalent jobs, visitors to the reserve generated a significant proportion of the island's summer spend.

'We want to safeguard the future of our wildlife'
The conclusion of the report based on the effect of the reserve on the island was that: ‘In 2009, the reserve brought £230,000 of visitor spend to the island, supporting 5.3 FTE jobs in tourism related businesses, 3.3 of which were specifically due to the presence of seabirds.'

Gregory Woulahan, RSPB's Reserve Manager, added: ‘All our work is directed to ensure that we safeguard the future of our wildlife, however it is also extremely gratifying to have what we have always known confirmed; namely that the work on our Rathlin reserve also contributes greatly to ensuring a sustainable population on Northern Ireland 's only inhabited island.

‘According to a report drawn up by an economist in July 2010 that looked at all the income generated by the RSPB Reserve and the RSPB Seabird Centre, both provided 9.3 full time equivalent jobs.

‘This demonstrates the need to continue to protect the seas and wildlife that relies on coastal waters around Rathlin, as well as to continue working hard to ensure that the land is in excellent condition for birds like chough, corncrake, lapwing and curlew.'