To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline what powers his Department holds with regards to regulating the movement of jet skis and boats in the vicinity of Helen’s Bay in Crawfordsburn Country Park.

I am aware of the safety concerns regarding the use of jet-skis in the Helen’s Bay area and can confirm that my Department does not allow the launching of jet-skis from Crawfordsburn Country Park or provide access that allows for this. However, my Department has no powers to regulate the use of jet-skis for safety reasons outside Crawfordsburn Country Park or in the sea adjacent to it.

Helen’s Bay is in within the proposed East Coast (Northern Ireland) Marine Special Protection Area (SPA) and therefore my Department may introduce byelaws under the Marine Act (Northern Ireland) 2013 to protect important bird species such as Great crested grebe, Red throated diver, Common, Sandwich and Artic terns, Eider duck, and Manx shearwater.

In response to the increased level of jet-ski use across Northern Ireland’s coastal waters, and the potential risk that continued unregulated use may present to marine wildlife, my Department is developing options for byelaws to regulate the use of jet-skis in marine protected areas. The need for byelaws to regulate the use of jet-skis and boats within the proposed East Coast SPA will be considered as part of this process.