Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent legislative steps she has taken to protect marine life.

The Government is committed to protecting and improving the marine environment at home and internationally to meet the global commitment to protect 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030.

The Government introduced legislation on 10 September 2025 to enable the UK to implement its obligations under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement and move towards ratification. The Act received Royal Assent on 12 February. Further secondary legislation will be required before the BBNJ Agreement can be ratified by the UK. This will happen when the parliamentary timetable allows. Under the BBNJ Agreement, the Conference of the Parties can establish area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas, in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Once we have ratified the Agreement, as a Party the UK will be able to participate fully in decisions on the establishment of such tools.

We continue to take legislative and non-legislative steps to protect our domestic marine environments.

The Marine Recovery Fund was established on 17 December 2025 with secondary legislation laid on the same date. The MRF’s aim is to help accelerate decision-making within the planning and consenting process for offshore wind, while delivering effective compensation to protect the marine environment. Government has also laid secondary legislation on 26 February to create a more flexible approach to environmental compensation for offshore wind, whilst also unlocking opportunities for nature recovery at scale.

In June 2025, the Marine Management Organisation launched a consultation proposing plans to limit bottom trawling in a further 41 MPAs, covering 30,000 sq km of England’s waters. Defra also launched a consultation on proposed changes to the marine licensing process. Defra and the Marine Management Organisation are carefully considering all responses received before making any decisions on future legislation.