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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support the Falkland Islands government to preserve its (a) marine biodiversity, (b) sustainable fishing practices and (c) other aspects of its ecological environment.

Defra officials work closely with the Falkland Islands Government to ensure that Falkland Island interests are represented in international fisheries meetings at the UN and FAO, and that challenges in ensuring sustainable management of high seas fisheries in the South West Atlantic are addressed.

Defra primarily supports the UK Overseas Territories, including the Falkland Islands, to protect their unique biodiversity and natural environments through the Darwin Plus programme. In the past 5 years, Darwin Plus has awarded funding to 28 projects of benefit to the Falkland Islands worth over £4 million, including 8 worth over £2 million dedicated to marine conservation.

Projects have been working to:

• Strengthen protection for marine mammals and predators, such as seals, whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds;
• Restore breeding habitat for Magellanic penguins;
• Solve why fur seal bycatch by commercial fisheries has been increasing and inform prevention measures; and
• Predict the impact of climate change on key species to support fishery and ecosystem resilience.