Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Friday, 31 January 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 4 February 2025. It was answered by Stephen Doughty (Labour) on Friday, 7 February 2025 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

South Georgia: Nature Conservation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect native wildlife on South Georgia in the context of the potential risk of a collision of the iceberg A23a with the island.

Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in close contact with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) about the movement of iceberg A23a. BAS and GSGSSI are both actively monitoring the movement of the iceberg and are working to identify a range of likely future scenarios and potential implications, including for the region's wildlife. It is currently anticipated that A23a will run aground on the continental shelf before it reaches the landmass of South Georgia, and that any impacts on wildlife are likely to be localised and transient, but we will keep this assessment under review.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 27845
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Nature conservation Seas and oceans Wildlife Snow and ice South Georgia
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk