§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he plans to take to increase protection for whales and dolphins within UK waters; and if he will make a statement. [1074]
§ Ms Angela EagleAll cetaceans are subject to the highest level of statutory protection in UK waters.
The UK is a signatory to the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Baltic and North Seas (ASCOBANS), and a member of the International Whaling Commission.
197WA biodiversity species action plan for the harbour porpoise is in place which has as its objective the maintenance of the current range and abundance, with a longer term aim of ensuring that no anthropogenic factors inhibit the return to waters that previously held the harbour porpoise.
The Government will be considering the effectiveness of these measures.