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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect the marine (a) environment and (b) biodiversity.

Protecting the ocean, and its biodiversity will deliver on our domestic and our international commitments, such as achieving Good Environmental Status in domestic seas and supporting the Global Biodiversity Framework target to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. Key steps we are taking are set out in the latest UK Marine Strategy ‘programme of measures’ published on 29 January 2025. This includes information about our network of Marine Protected Areas, our Highly Protected Marine Areas, Fisheries Management Plans, actions to eliminate or minimise bycatch of sensitive marine species, and work done under the English Seabird Conservation and Recovery Pathway.

The UK also provides global leadership in marine protection, as chair of the Global Ocean Alliance and Ocean Champion of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, supporting the global target to protect at least 30% of the ocean. In addition to implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework under the Convention of Biological Diversity, we are delivering conservation and management of cetaceans under the International Whaling Commission, ratifying the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, and are working with international partners to agree an ambitious treaty to end plastic pollution.