Published Wednesday, 29 June 2011
The summit brought together eight of Northern Ireland's coastal councils as well as groups such as Tidy Northern Ireland, the National Trust and the Marine Conservation Society.
Environment Minister Alex Attwood said the summit was needed because, while Northern Ireland enjoys some 'excellent' beaches, problems such as litter and sewage blight the coastline.
"Each year we hear many reports highlighting some excellent beeches and some beeches that are not up to standard," he said.
"Why is that? What must be done to bring all our beaches up to a high level of quality? Can it be done?
"These are questions I wanted answers to. After all, better water quality and better beaches will make Northern Ireland a better place to live, work and invest."