Introduction
Lough Neagh (c190sq miles) is the largest freshwater lake in Western Europe. The most extensive area of the former wetlands lies to the south of the Lough and includes the floodplains of the Rivers Blackwater and Upper Bann.

‘The Wetlands’ solely refers to this low-lying land at the southern end of Lough Neagh. This area is conceptualised as that which is boxed between the southern Lough shoreline and the M1 Motorway, extending up to Mountjoy Castle on the western parameter and Portmore Lough on the eastern side. The area of study is approximate to that of the 1976 Ramsar boundary and covers 50sq miles (12,000 hectares).

The area’s inhabitants and their interaction with the Lough and its resources have created a social, cultural and historical wealth which combined with this environmental richness, lends the area an element of distinctiveness.

The Lough Neagh Wetlands offer a varied low-lying landscape containing a mosaic of rich habitats. The area has a high conservation value for many species of flora, fauna and wildlife. The importance of these habitats has resulted in the area meriting the following designations aimed at protecting and enhancing these features:

• Ramsar
• Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI)
• Special Protection Area (SPA)
• National Nature Reserve (NNR).

Much of the area was also designated as a Less Favoured Area by the Department of Agriculture in 1976.

The second highly valued habitat that is relatively abundant in the region is peatland. All the peatlands in south Lough Neagh are classified as ‘lowland raised bogs.’ Presently the peatlands in the region are much reduced and under threat from further encroachment of built development and peat extraction.

The third and most extensive habitat to be found in The Wetlands is that of improved and semi-improved grassland. With few exceptions, this land is used solely for livestock grazing purposes. Species rich pastures are to be found next to the Lough shoreline, on the floodplains, on the reclaimed peatland and within Portmore Lough NNR.