Written question asked by Lord McCabe (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 June 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 June 2023 (named day). It was answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Conservative) on Tuesday, 13 June 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

International Waters: Marine Environment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the UK’s obligations to protect marine habitats in international waters.

Answer: The UK complies with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to protect and preserve the marine environment. The UK played a key role in securing a landmark international Agreement to Protect Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) in March 2023. We will continue to play a leading role in implementation, including supporting developing countries. The Agreement will help to achieve the target to effectively conserve and manage at least 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030 set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We support the work of regional seas bodies such as the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, which has designated ten Marine Protected Areas in the high seas, and are a signatory to the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea.

Secondary information