Ownership

The majority of both the foreshore and the seabed of the Strangford Lough is owned by the Crown Estate Commissioners on behalf of the Crown. 

 

At present most of the Crown Estate seabed is not leased, though it is likely that the Commissioners may be willing to lease the bed, or parts of it, to appropriate bodies, for example for aquaculture.

 

Extensive areas of foreshore and some of seabed are, however, owned or leased by the National Trust and other conservation organisations including Northern Ireland Environment Agency. District Councils also lease foreshore as do some commercial shellfish growers. 

 

The National Trust holds the sporting rights to most of the intertidal area. Many of the islands and most of the land that surrounds the Lough is in private ownership.
 

All of the following authorities play a key role in the regulation and management of Strangford Lough.