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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to protect British-owned and British-manned vessels from orca attacks off the coast of Spain and Portugal.

This is a challenging situation which requires consideration of the safety of mariners as well as the conservation needs of this critically endangered population of Iberian orca. This issue has been ongoing since 2020 and has been discussed in the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) Scientific Committee since 2021.

A workshop in 2024 which included the UK-backed Vice-Chair of the IWC’s Scientific Committee, members of the Scientific Committee and orca experts assessed the behaviour and developed mitigation measures with a view to safeguarding lives at sea. Recommendations included moving away from the area and using measures that produce noise if appropriate authorisations are in place and highlighted the need for further research to better understand the issue.

This topic is due to be discussed at this year’s International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee meeting which begins next week, running 27 April to 8 May. The UK will Chair this year’s meeting, and Defra officials and experts from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee will also be in attendance.