Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy is on seeking a ban on ivory sales.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government is deeply concerned by the continued poaching of elephants for their ivory, which is why we are committed to maintaining the current global ban on any international trade in new ivory. The UK has made no formal assessment of the impact of other countries’ additional measures to restrict trade in ivory. However, as a further step in delivering the Government’s manifesto commitment to press for a total ban on ivory sales, on 21 September the Secretary of State announced plans for a ban on sales of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day, putting UK rules on ivory sales among the world’s toughest. We will consult on plans for the ban early next year. This will complement the existing UK approach not to permit the trade of raw ivory tusks.
The Government also successfully lobbied for the EU-wide adoption of the existing UK ban on sales of raw ivory tusks, which was advocated through the EU Council Conclusions on an EU Action Plan on Wildlife Trafficking and adopted in June. This urged EU Member States not to issue export or re-export documents under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for raw, pre-Convention ivory (pre-1990) and to consider further measures to put a halt to commercial trade in ivory from elephants.
At the CITES Conference that took place from 24 September to 5 October the UK was involved in negotiations that successfully secured a strong agreement calling for the closure of domestic ivory markets where they contribute to poaching or illegal trade. This was agreed by all 183 Parties to CITES.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Written Statement of 14 July 2016, HCWS89, on the June Agriculture and Fisheries Council, in what cases exceptions should be made to reaching Maximum Sustainable Yield targets.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government supports setting EU Total Allowable Catches (TACs) at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) in 2017 wherever possible. In accordance with the provisions of Council Regulation 1380 / 2013 a delay in reaching MSY beyond 2017 would be allowed if a proposed TAC reduction would seriously jeopardise the social and economic sustainability of the fishing fleets involved. A decision may also be taken by the Council not to do so if it would merely increase the discarding of fish especially in a mixed fishery.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) ratify the Cape Town agreement and (b) otherwise tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the High Seas.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK supports ratification of the Cape Town agreement and will ratify when legal priorities allow, which is a matter for the Department of Transport. The UK already applies the 1993 Torremolinos Protocol relating to the Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels through the Fishing Vessels (EC Directive on Harmonised Safety Regime) Regulations 1999.
The UK Government, through the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), has been at the forefront of international measures to tackle Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which remains a major threat, not just to the world’s fish stocks, but to its marine biodiversity and the livelihoods and security of coastal communities. The UK acts, alongside other European Union nations, to deny market access to products from IUU fishing, and to support third countries in developing their capability to detect and deter IUU fishing. Ground breaking work has also recently taken place between the MMO and UK based insurance companies to promote and encourage compliance with IUU regulations.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to support fishing any stocks at a higher level than the maximum sustainable yield level in the forthcoming negotiations on the multi-annual plan to manage North Sea fish stocks.
Answered by George Eustice
The objective of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy is that all stocks will be fished at or below their respective Maximum Sustainable Yield by 2020. We expect to see proposals for a North Sea multi-annual plan soon which will provide the regulatory framework for the management of multi-species fisheries in the North Sea.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what technical assistance her Department has offered to the government of the Pitcairn Islands to help ensure that its draft biosecurity legislation meets best practice.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The UK Government is committed to assisting our Overseas Territories (OTs) in protecting their biodiversity. Territory Governments are constitutionally responsible for the conservation of their natural environments and we work in partnership with them to provide support, including through access to technical advice, expertise and training and through the Overseas Territories Climate and Environment Programme (Darwin Plus).
Preventing the establishment of invasive alien species and eradicating or controlling invasive species is one of our priorities in supporting biodiversity conservation in the OTs. Defra has funded various projects on biosecurity, bio-control and the spread of non-native species in the OTs, including an RSPB-led Darwin Plus project which included work to improve Pitcairn’s biosecurity legislation. Defra officials stand ready to consider any requests from Pitcairn’s Government for technical assistance, advice or expertise on biosecurity matters or in respect of Pitcairn’s biosecurity legislation.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will revise its consultation paper on air quality draft plans, published on 12 September 2015, to take into account findings by the US Environmental Protection Agency of car manufacturers cheating in vehicle emissions tests.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The projections modelled in the draft plans were based on road transport emission factors from COPERT (Computer Programme to calculate Emissions from Road Transport). These take into account the gap between real world emissions and those from testing.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is Government policy to support an EU action plan for improving governance and reducing deforestation in the agricultural sector in tropical forest countries.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is committed to reducing tropical deforestation, including by improving governance, and supports the development of an EU action plan on deforestation, as outlined in the EU’s 7th Environmental Action Programme.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on the implementation of commitments made by (a) the UK and (b) partner nations at the London Conference on the illegal wildlife trade in February 2014.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK is committed to playing its part in ending the scourge of the global illegal wildlife trade, which is why we hosted the London Conference on the illegal wildlife trade in February 2014. The London Conference Declaration contained 25 commitments to action on enforcement and criminal justice, eradicating the market for illegal wildlife products and sustainable livelihoods.
A report describing the UK’s progress on delivering the commitments made in the London Conference Declaration will be published this spring. We have also designed a £10 million package, over four years, to support international action to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, focused on the themes discussed at the London Conference. As part of this package, 19 projects around the world will receive over £5.3 million through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.
The UK is producing a progress report on behalf of all the countries and Intergovernmental Organisations which adopted the London Conference Declaration. This report will be based on their contributions.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's letter, reference MC355113/RGW, how many tons of fish and shellfish (a) the 12 vessels from the UK using bottom trawler gear have caught below 600m and (b) the eight vessels from the UK using bottom trawler gear have caught below 800m in the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
The information will be placed in the House Library
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to a letter sent from her Department, ref. MC355113/RGW, what proportion of overall catch of (a) the 12 vessels from the UK that use bottom trawler gear below 600 metres and (b) the eight vessels from the UK that use bottom trawler gear below 800 metres was caught by bottom trawling and not mid water trawl in the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
The information will be placed in the House Library