High Seas Treaty Debate
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Baroness Boycott
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High Seas Treaty
Baroness Boycott Excerpts(2 days, 12 hours ago)
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Baroness Boycott
To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce further measures to protect 30 per cent of oceans by 2030, and to ratify the High Seas Treaty agreed by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Baroness Hayman of Ullock) (Lab)
My Lords, the Government have created a network of marine protected areas covering 40% of English waters, including the first three highly protected marine areas, which were designated in 2023. They are now focusing their efforts on ensuring that these areas are effectively conserved and managed. We have limited the use of damaging fishing gear in 60% of English MPAs and are now considering the next steps to manage bottom trawling. Legislation to implement the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction agreement, sometimes referred to as the high seas treaty, will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
Baroness Boycott (CB)
I thank the noble Baroness very much for that Answer. It is very good news to hear that we are limiting bottom trawling in MPAs, but the point of my Question was to ask whether we have a Bill going through the noble Baroness’s department—or, indeed, the FCDO—which will ratify the global ocean treaty. The UN conference will happen in June. If we have not ratified our treaties, as I understand it, we will not have a seat at the first ocean COP.
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
The UK will continue to be proactive in preparing for implementation and entry. We are committed to partnering with others, in particular the global South and the Commonwealth Secretariat, to ratify and implement the agreement. We are actively engaging in that. The first meeting will take place at the UN in New York this April. We very much support this, and we are working with others to move forward.