Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question 136780, on British Overseas Territories: Marine Protected Areas, which Blue Belt programme activities those payments of Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science staff salaries were associated with in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.

Under the Blue Belt initiative in 2016/17, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) provided advice on marine resources and their current management; undertook baseline assessment and gap analysis of each of the Overseas Territories (OT) to determine their marine management status and future needs. Cefas also procured a deep-water camera system to provide data for baselining and monitoring of Marine Protected Areas, including evaluating the impacts of fishing gear on habitats.

In 2017/18, Cefas assisted the Tristan da Cunha Government with the planning and implementation of a marine protection strategy including an extensive programme of work to help the OT sustainably manage existing and developing fisheries, supporting the local economy. In collaboration with British Antarctic Survey and the OT Governments, Cefas planned and implemented scientific surveys in Tristan and St Helena maritime areas. Cefas also instigated tagging programmes for commercially exploited tuna and grouper species in the St Helena waters, which are providing valuable data on the ecology of these species. Cefas has recently undertaken a camera survey of the South Georgia MPA to investigate the impact of longline fishing gear on the marine ecosystem. Cefas assisted the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration in developing a detailed marine management plan for the existing MPA. Cefas has also providing training to staff from Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha and St Helena and procured safety equipment for staff and vessels working in the Tristan and St Helena maritime zones.