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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they intend to take to ensure that seabird colonies, such as colonies of gannets, are adequately protected, including in respect of (1) invasive species, (2) marine pollution, and (3) overfishing.

The UK's seabirds are an important part of our natural heritage, and we continue to support actions to address the range of threats they are facing. Defra have commissioned Natural England to assess the vulnerability of seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and propose actions to address them. We will work closely with stakeholders to understand the best way to implement and prioritise these actions in early 2023.

To protect the UK's 42 seabird island Special Protection Areas, Defra is funding work through the RSPB's Biosecurity programme which seeks to address the need for biosecurity measures through the removal of introduced predatory mammals.

The UK is a global leader in tackling plastic pollution that enters our waterways, rivers, and ocean. As set out in the UK Marine Strategy Part Three, the UK government is taking action to reduce pollution in the marine environment to help protect marine species, including seabirds. We aim to publish an updated UK Marine Strategy Part Three later this year, outlining the programmes of measures that will continue to move us towards Good Environmental Status in our seas.

We are also assessing the impact that fishing for forage fish species has on the marine ecosystem, including on vulnerable seabirds. Following the recent call for evidence, Defra, working with others, will be developing a policy on a future management strategy for industrial fishing in UK waters. This includes reviewing our policy for the sandeel fishery in the North Sea.