How can we protect the marine environment with such a busy seabed?
Policies to protect the marine environment and ensure 30% of waters are protected by 2030 will be the focus of the Environmental Audit Committee’s first evidence session of its ‘Governing the marine environment’ inquiry.
The inquiry was launched in December 2024 to examine whether provisions of international treaties aimed at protecting global seas and oceans are adequate, particularly in the light of current competing demands on the marine environment including fishing, undersea cabling, renewable energy, shipping and leisure. Members aim to complete a stocktake of how the UK is implementing policies protecting the marine environment by the UN Oceans Conference in June 2025, and will, if necessary, press Ministers to address any limitations in the current domestic and international policy landscape.
Meeting details
During Wednesday’s two-panel evidence session, EAC will be discussing with experts the competing demands on UK waters and marine spatial planning, and will be exploring whether there are any information gaps to be addressed so as to provide policymakers with a fuller picture of current pressures on marine resources. Discussion in the second panel will focus on the effectiveness of international treaties and of non-legally binding instruments and agreements in protecting the marine environment.
The evidence session follows the appearance of Nature Minister Mary Creagh before EAC in December 2024 where she confirmed that Marine Protected Areas currently covered 38% of UK waters, and that it was a priority for the Government to ensure that those areas were properly protected