Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has rejected cross-party MP calls for primary legislation to be introduced to improve the protection of marine mammals (such as dolphins and whales) in UK waters, to bring it into line with standards provided by other countries. In June of this year, The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published its report, Protecting Marine Mammals in the UK and Abroad, highlighting various recommendations but disappointingly the government has responded, stating there is already sufficient legislation and international conventions to protect wild marine mammals. However, they agreed, that there is a need to reduce the number of dolphins and whales getting entangled in fishing gear, commonly known as bycatch – one of the most prominent threats to these marine mammals along with vessel strikes, climate change and pollution. DEFRA is to produce an action plan for bycatch in England in 2024.
The Government also rejected the Committee’s call to explore potential options to close the legal loophole on the transit of cetacean products through UK ports, because these products constitute a very small proportion of trade passing through the UK and thought it unlikely that it would be given the necessary legislative time.
Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Sir Robert Goodwill, said: “We welcome the Government’s commitment to the protection of marine mammals. However, our committee urged new legislation, increased funding and faster action to mitigate the pressing challenges on these valuable species and we are disappointed to note that in rejecting our recommendations the Government does not appear to be demonstrating an awareness of the necessary urgency and scale of the problems.”
