Strangford Lough is a Special Protection Areas (SPAs) which means it is a protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the Birds Directive, and is classified for rare and vulnerable birds, and for regularly occurring migratory species.
The Birds Directive has facilitated much co-operative conservation action across the European Union. Many initiatives have increased understanding of conservation needs, including the development of international action plans for the most threatened species.
Recent years have seen the development of the Ornis database, a major review of the timing of migration and breeding of quarry species listed under Article II of the Directive, as well as a range of guidance on hunting issues.