Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the (a) seabed and (b) other parts of the marine portfolio of the area within 200 nautical miles of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) has some of the most biodiverse waters on the planet with over 220 species of coral, 855 species of fish and 355 species of molluscs. Since its designation as a Marine Protected Area in 2010, the BIOT Administration has managed environmental policy across the archipelago, with marine conservation efforts supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Blue Belt Programme. The agreement between the UK and Mauritius will be supported by an enhanced partnership on conservation under which the UK will support Mauritius to establish a Marine Protected Area that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Archipelago.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 32981 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the transfer of sovereignty and (b) the consequences of the protections being changed of the current marine protected area on (i) biodiversity, (ii) protection of reefs, (iii) fish species and numbers and (iv) other plant and animal life.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will assist Mauritius in implementing a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area in the Archipelago, which will extend to technical, financial, capacity-building assistance, fostering long-term sustainable management. The parties will work with international conservation organisations to ensure the implementation of science-backed strategies for conservation.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's timetable is for ratifying the United Nations Global Ocean Treaty.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 32981 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether provisions for the continuation of the current marine protected area are included in the proposed treaty with Mauritius; and if the proposed treaty includes restrictions on fisheries activities.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The agreement will be supported by an enhanced partnership between the UK and Mauritius on conservation. This partnership will prioritise high conservation standards, with the UK supporting Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago. The Treaty reflects both Parties' shared commitment to uphold international environmental law, ensuring high conservation standards across the Archipelago in line with global frameworks, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to resolve the dispute between the Republic of the Maldives’s Economic Exclusion Zone and the British Indian Ocean Territory’s (a) Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone and (b) Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone in negotiations with the Government of Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we outlined in our joint statement of 3 October 2024, following two years of negotiation with the intention of resolving all outstanding issues between the UK and Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago, the UK and Mauritius reached political agreement which is subject to the finalisation in a treaty and connected legal instruments. The agreement will be supported by an enhanced partnership between the UK and Mauritius under which the UK will support Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago. The UK was not a party to the 2021 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea case between Mauritius and Maldives.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference to ensure the effective management of Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are already protected from the point of designation by the planning and marine licensing regimes that cover activities such as dredging for aggregates and construction of offshore wind farms. In addition, the Department is considering next steps to manage bottom trawling, along with other fishing methods, where this might damage MPA features or benthic habitats, in the context of our domestic and international nature conservation obligations. We are keen to continue to work closely with fisheries and marine stakeholders as we develop our plans for future fisheries and marine management. The 2025 UN Ocean Conference offers an opportunity to discuss our approach with a wide range of organisations and partners.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Government will ratify the agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction.
Answered by Catherine West
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's progress in ratifying the Global Oceans Treaty ahead of the United Nations Oceans Conference in June 2025.
Answered by Catherine West
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 24912 on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, whether the measures to implement the provisions needed to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty will be complete by the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025.
Answered by Catherine West
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what administrative actions need to take place before legislating for the Global Oceans Treaty.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.