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Belfast is home to one of the busiest ports in the UK and Ireland and is the largest of its kind in Northern Ireland.
The Port of Belfast, as the docks area is known, receives 1.2 million passengers and 500,000 freight units each year and handles a wide range of products, including dry goods, commercial items, petroleum and oil.
More information about the port is available from the Port of Belfast website
Our role
Although we don't operate the Port of Belfast, we're responsible for making sure the port meets environmental health standards.Our duties include:
- carrying out inspections on board ships and other vessels to check they comply with food safety and hygiene standards
- inspecting the port for signs of pests
- overseeing the import of food into Belfast
- monitoring the port for infectious diseases
- checking the quality of water provided to and stored on ships
- issuing ship sanitation and exemption certificates
