Tractors plough up nature reserve

Amateur video footage of a tractor ploughing the lough foreshore

An internationally-protected nature reserve in County Down has been dug up by men believed to be preparing tractors for a ploughing contest.

A stretch of Strangford Lough shoreline, where 90% of the world's Brent geese migrate, has been destroyed.

The damage to Northern Ireland's only marine nature reserve has shocked environmentalists.

James Orr, director of Castle Espie reserve, run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, is horrified.

"It's unprecedented," he said.

"There's never been any direct damage quite as significant as this in many, many years.

"For several years to come this habitat has been lost."

Mr Orr said tens of thousands of birds from Greenland, Iceland and Canada flew to the area near Comber to spend their winter months.

James Orr said the damage was unprecedented

"This is absolutely full of life. There is this very special grass and birds come 1,000 miles to feed on this grass that is found only on these estuaries in Northern Ireland," he said.

"This did not need to happen. It is an act of mindless vandalism."

Three quarters of the destroyed site consists of eelgrass on which the birds, who arrive from Arctic Canada each winter, depend for food.

Ragworms and cockles eaten by wading birds such as knot and oyster catcher may also have been killed.

Conservationists believe it might take up to 10 years for the site to recover.

Environment and Heritage Service officials were alerted to the damage on Tuesday.

It is thought that about 15 acres of the National Trust-owned land at Island Hill has been damaged.

These are important feeding grounds for migrating birds

It is believed an engineering firm cleaning plough blades for competition was responsible.

The land is considered so special that a global protection order was issued. EU directives also applied, while the shoreline has been designated an Area of Special Scientific Interest under Northern Ireland legislation.

The Department of the Environment in Belfast said the damage was extremely serious.

"The principal perpetrators of the damage have been identified and cautioned," a spokesman said. "Environment and Heritage Service is now considering what further action to take in this case."

The National Trust said "severe damage" had been caused to a key conservation area.

"We want to send out a clear message that this sort of activity will not be tolerated," a spokesman for the trust said.

"It is illegal to wilfully damage an ASSI by carrying out such activities on protected lands."