Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about ocean protection.
Unfortunately, due to diary commitments, I will be unable to attend the debate in Parliament on the 25th of April in Westminster Hall. In view of the concerns which were raised with me I wrote to the Minister on behalf of constituents and the response is below.
The UK is a global leader in protecting our seas, the ocean and marine life, and works with counterparts both in the UK and overseas to help achieve these aims. I welcome that a deal to protect nature was agreed by almost 200 countries at COP15 in December 2022. This agreement includes a global commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and to protect 30 per cent of land and oceans by 2030. I understand that nearly 8.3 per cent of the global ocean is protected. The UK has been leading the way and announced nearly £30 million to support developing countries in delivering the 30by30 target. As you know, UN Member States agreed the High Seas Treaty, which aims to help place 30 per cent of the seas into protected areas by 2030. This is the first international treaty for ocean protection to be signed in 40yrs, the last one being the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Domestically, 374 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) protect 38 per cent of UK waters, which are all subject to planning and licensing regimes to ensure they are protected from harmful activities. The Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), available here: Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), sets the country on a path to deliver an improved marine environment and halt the decline in biodiversity which benefits us all. As set out in the EIP, the Government has a statutory target to have 70 per cent of designated features in MPAs in a favourable condition by 2042, with the remainder in a recovering condition.
The UK was also among the first signatories to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement at the UN on 20 September 2023. Work is in hand on the legislation and other measures needed to translate the detailed and complex provisions of the agreement into UK law before ratification when parliamentary time allows.
I am aware that at the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference, the UK, US and Canada launched the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Action Alliance, which brings together state and non-state actors to tackle the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Through committing to implement international agreements, promote active monitoring, control and surveillance, and encourage transparency and data sharing, this alliance is growing and has welcomed several new countries to its membership including the European Union, Iceland, and Norway.
In addition, the Government has pledged funding to support marine protection, ocean research and activities to combat illegal fishing. These investments will bolster initiatives aimed at conserving our oceans and ensuring their long-term sustainability by allocating resources to these critical areas.
Finally, the first three Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) have come into force. These are areas of the sea that will allow for the highest level of protection in our waters and full recovery of marine ecosystems and will exclude all fishing. For HPMAs to be successful, the Government will work with the fishing industry, other marine industries and sea users in designating, managing and monitoring them.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
