Living lifelines: Restoring Britain's largest marine lough

Healthy coastal and freshwater systems are fundamental to resilient local economies, sustainable food systems, tourism, flood management and community wellbeing.

In Strangford Lough, declining sea trout populations signal wider challenges: habitat fragmentation, water quality pressures, blocked waterways and reduced ecological connectivity, all of which increase long-term environmental, economic and reputational risk.

This project offers businesses a practical, place-based investment that tackles these challenges at source, delivering measurable outcomes for biodiversity, climate resilience, community engagement and ESG performance.

Why Strangford Lough matters

Strangford Lough is the largest marine lough in the British Isles, covering approximately 150 km², with a dynamic tidal system that flushes nutrients and marine life through an 8 km-long narrow channel twice daily.

This creates one of the most biologically-rich coastal systems in Europe, supporting over 2,000 recorded species.

Its intertidal mudflats and sandflats sustain internationally important populations of overwintering birds, including up to 80% of the Canadian population of pale-bellied Brent geese, while its waters are a stronghold for the iconic sea trout, a species in decline across the UK and Ireland.

The opportunity

Sea trout depend on small streams and estuaries throughout their life cycle, yet these habitats are often overlooked, blocked or degraded by minor land-use changes, culverts and crossings.

While only one major river (the Quoile) flows into Strangford Lough, there is a network of small rivers and streams with high potential for restoration.

This project focuses on restoring at least six small rivers feeding into the Lough, using nature-based solutions and a proven Nature Recovery Network (NRN) approach to reconnect freshwater and marine systems, improve water quality and build long-term ecological resilience.

What your investment can deliver

Business funding will enable a clearly defined programme of restoration, engagement and monitoring, including:

• Assessment and planning: Detailed analysis of water quality, flow, sedimentation, channelisation, invertebrate life and ecological health to inform targeted interventions.
• Barrier removal: Removal of 10 impassable river barriers, restoring natural fish movement and water flow.
• Natural flow restoration: Re-establishing riffles, pools and meanders in place of uniform, man-made structures.
• Bank stabilisation: Using vegetation, rocks and boulders to stabilise banks through nature-based solutions.
• Habitat creation: Improving aquatic and riparian habitats critical for sea trout and wider biodiversity.
• Riparian planting: Establishing 3 km of native riparian buffer, improving water quality, filtering pollutants and providing shade.
• Floodplain restoration: Where possible, reconnecting streams to their floodplains to reduce flood risk and improve groundwater recharge.
• Monitoring and maintenance: Long-term monitoring to ensure outcomes endure and adapt over time.

Community-led delivery with lasting impact

The project works directly with angling clubs and local communities, equipping them with the skills, knowledge and ownership needed to restore and steward their local streams.

Workshops, training and stakeholder networks foster long-term responsibility and shared value, ensuring benefits endure beyond the life of the project.

For businesses, this offers a visible, credible partnership that combines environmental restoration with community engagement, skills development and local pride.

Benefits for your business, people, and nature

While focused on restoring an iconic species, the project delivers wider, long-term value:

• Improved water quality and freshwater resilience.
• Reduced flood risk through natural floodplain function.
• Stronger coastal and estuarine ecosystems.
• Support for ecotourism and recreation economies.
• Volunteering, skills development and community engagement.
• Richer habitats supporting otter, kingfisher, seals, harbour porpoise and bottlenose dolphin.
• A replicable model for landscape-scale nature recovery.

The Strangford AONB faces pressures from climate change, invasive species, agricultural intensification and coastal squeeze. This project forms part of a suite of urgently needed, systemic interventions that address root causes rather than symptoms, strengthening the AONB as a working landscape that supports biodiversity, communities and regional resilience.

Why this works

By investing, businesses support a credible, community-backed solution that delivers measurable environmental outcomes, strengthens social value and demonstrates leadership in nature-positive action.

The project builds on existing engagement and creates a scalable, repeatable model for long-term ecological and cultural resilience: locally rooted, yet nationally relevant.

Interested in this project or something like it?

Get in touch today to discuss your options.