§ The Earl of Shrewsburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to publicise the UK'S activities implementing the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas.
§ The Earl of ArranThe summary of action taken by the UK to implement the agreement has been published today. A copy has been placed in the House Library.
Recent activities have built on our already extensive range of laws intended to protect dolphins and other marine and land-based animals, and their habitats.
A co-ordinating committee has been established to ensure the objectives of the agreement were understood and acted upon by government agencies. This has resulted in extensive co-operation between government departments, agencies, universities and voluntary bodies to identify priorities for action, set up a secretariat to run the agreement and begin vital research work.
Action taken by us to support the agreement includes financial contributions for a number of research projects: a two-year international survey of populations and distributions of porpoises and dolphins in the North sea and English Channel, research into ways of deterring cetaceans from swimming into fishing nets, recording of beached animals and analysis of cause of death, and investigation of the problems presented by acoustic disturbance.
Taken together, these projects will provide a sound basis for future policies and programmes for effective and appropriate protection of these species on an international scale.