Written question asked by Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 17 March 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 19 March 2025. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Friday, 28 March 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Cetaceans and Seals: Conservation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to (a) add all resident pinniped species to Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and (b) protect all pinniped and cetacean species from each offence under Section 9 of that Act.

Answer: We continue to consider the evidence for legislative change. This includes the proposals submitted by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to the previous Government for amending the lists of species afforded protection by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Nature recovery is one of my main priorities, so Defra is working to review whether we have the right tools in place including developing a revised Environmental Improvement Plan to protect and restore our natural environment, which will be published later this year.

Secondary information