NEWS

Poultry keepers across Northern Ireland will be allowed to let their birds outside again from next week, after Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir confirmed the lifting of compulsory housing measures introduced to curb the spread of avian influenza. The restrictions, which have been in place since 6 November 2025, will be lifted from 00:01 on Tuesday 5 May 2026, marking a significant shift in disease control measures following months of heightened vigilance across the sector. Th

A major wildfire in the Mourne Mountains that scorched an estimated 1,000 hectares has now been brought under control after a prolonged emergency response involving more than 80 firefighters, while crews remain locked in an ongoing battle against a second large blaze in Hilltown. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed the Ballagh Road fire in Newcastle — one of the most significant incidents over the weekend — was fully dealt with by 10.08am on Tuesday

Fire crews are set to remain on the ground in the Mourne Mountains throughout the week as Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed around 95 firefighters are tackling ongoing wildfires — with a government minister warning the destruction is “soul destroying” and poses a real risk to lives and communities. The large-scale emergency response continues to focus on two major incidents at Ballagh Road in Newcastle and Sandbank Road in Hilltown, where fires that i

The scene on Saturday evening as firefighters battled multiple blazes across the Mourne Mountains in Co Down. (Photos: Patricia Williams, MeAndering Images) Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) crews are tackling multiple wildfire incidents across the Mourne Mountains, with operations continuing into Sunday as authorities warn of ongoing risk to life and property and urge the public to avoid affected areas. Firefighters remain on the ground at two key locations —

William Irvine, UFU President, Richard King, The Andersons Centre, Ian Stevenson, NI Dairy Council, Colin Smith, LMC, Glenn Cuddy, UFU deputy president, and Michael Haverty, The Andersons Centre. Northern Ireland’s farming families are shouldering an estimated £96 million in indirect costs every year as a result of bovine Tuberculosis, according to a landmark new independent report launched today, laying bare the scale of a crisis that continues to hit farm profitability, fa

Lough Neagh, County Antrim. (Photo by Emmett McGreevy) Commercial sand dredging in Lough Neagh may be causing far more extensive damage to the lake’s fragile ecosystem than previously understood, according to new research from Queen’s University Belfast, raising fresh questions over how Northern Ireland’s most important freshwater resource is being managed. Published today in the Journal of Environmental Management, the first-of-its-kind study suggests the impact of underwate

The BEAM team and local volunteers gathered cleanup, community and craic in Ballymoney! More than 50 people from across Ballymoney turned out for a community litter pick at Riverside Park, in a strong show of local spirit that organisers say was about far more than clearing rubbish from public spaces. The event, organised by BEAM – Building Empowerment & Awareness to Mind – took place on Tuesday 31 March and brought together people of all ages from across the town, with volun

Northern Ireland Ambulance Servi ce staff Estelle Smyth, Michael Patterson , and Derek Hamilton supporting Northern Trust colleagues on tree planting initiative Holywell Hospital in Antrim is set to undergo a major environmental transformation under a new Northern Health and Social Care Trust scheme that will see 7,000 native trees planted across the site over the next seven years. The large-scale planting programme, announced as part of the Trust’s wider sustainability strat

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast are calling on the public across Northern Ireland to help track mosquito populations after launching the region’s first dedicated mosquito reporting system. The new initiative, MosquitoNI, marks the first time people in Northern Ireland have been invited to directly submit mosquito sightings online as part of a major scientific study examining what species are present here, where they are concentrated, and whether they may pose future

Curlew (Photograph by Matthew Dean, RSPB volunteer) As Northern Ireland heads into the Easter weekend, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has joined forces with RSPB NI and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to issue a strong public warning over the disturbance of native breeding waders and other ground-nesting birds. The appeal comes at one of the most critical times of the year for some of the region’s most vulnerable bird species, with conservation bodies warnin

Dairy farmers across Northern Ireland are being urged to return to basics and refocus on grass and grazing as falling milk prices and rising costs begin to squeeze farm incomes in 2026. Despite a strong performance last year, experts warn that the early months of this year have already exposed vulnerabilities in farm profitability — with challenging weather and market uncertainty testing the resilience of producers. Conail Keown, Senior Dairy Adviser at the College of Agricul

Manage tyre pressure and axle loads when carrying out field operations. Farmers across Northern Ireland are being warned that decisions made in the coming weeks could have lasting consequences for crop yields, grazing performance, and long-term soil health—after one of the wettest winters in recent memory left land in a vulnerable state. According to the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, many soils are entering spring “fragile” and at risk of damage, despite

L-R: Declan McAleer MLA, Deputy Chair of the AERA Committee; Robbie Butler, MLA, Chair of the AERA Committee; Kathleen McBride, CEO of Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co‑Operative Society; Michelle McIlveen MLA, AERA Committee member and Dr Janice Thompson, Committee Clerk. The scale of the crisis engulfing Lough Neagh was laid bare this week as Stormont committee members heard stark warnings from local fishers who say their industry is “dying” amid environmental decline, collapsing

The team at work at Magilligan Tree Nursery in Magilligan Prison A unique tree nursery based within prison grounds is offering locally grown trees at reduced prices — with every order helping to support prisoner rehabilitation and protect Northern Ireland’s native environment. The Magilligan Tree Nursery, operated in partnership with the Northern Ireland Prison Service, has launched two special offers aimed at households, community groups and businesses alike. Buyers can now

(Photo Credit: Tom McDonnell) Rathlin Island has been declared officially ferret free in a world-first conservation success—an achievement that could transform the future of Northern Ireland’s largest seabird colony and place the small island at the centre of global environmental efforts. Announced on Monday, 23 March by RSPB NI, the milestone marks the completion of a years-long mission to remove invasive feral ferrets from the island—predators that had devastated seabird po

Inset: South Antrim UUP MP Robin Swann A move to reduce the impact of fireworks on communities and animals has been welcomed as a “step in the right direction” by South Antrim MP Robin Swann , following a positive response from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. The council has confirmed it will now consider using silent or low-noise fireworks at future public events, after adopting a motion on the issue and reviewing its approach to event planning. Council commits to r

The newly discovered seagrass (known as eelgrass) meadow – Zostera marina A remarkable environmental discovery has been made in Northern Ireland’s waters, as a previously unrecorded seagrass meadow has been identified in Strangford Lough — offering fresh hope for climate action and marine conservation. The find was made by Queen’s University Belfast PhD student Rebekah Bajkó , who used innovative technology from DAERA’s Coastal Observatory to spot unusual patterns beneath the

The local team outside KFC Ballymena before litter pick A team of local fast-food workers has swapped fryers for refuse bags—and come out on top—after KFC Ballymena was crowned litter-picking champion in a nationwide clean-up effort. During this year’s Great British Spring Clean, 11 team members from the KFC restaurant at Larne Road Link took to the streets of Ballymena, collecting an impressive 14 bags of rubbish in a determined bid to tidy their community. Local pride shine

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir pictured with PSNI Superintendent Chris Hamill and NIFRS Area Commander Ryan Thompson as the department and agencies issue a reminder about wildfire season. A stark warning has been issued to the public as authorities move to a default ‘Yellow’ wildfire risk across Northern Ireland, with officials urging vigilance to prevent a repeat of last year’s devastating blazes. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Northern Ire

A public row has erupted over responsibility for pollution in Lough Neagh, after the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) accused NI Water of presenting “modelling as fact” in claims that 70% of water pollution originates from the agricultural sector. The farming body has expressed “serious concern” over what it describes as inaccurate comments made by an NI Water representative, who stated that the figure was factual. The UFU says that assertion is both misleading and inappropriate.