§ Mr. BurgonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he intends to take to minimise disturbance to small cetaceans in accordance with the United Kingdom's obligations under the agreement on the conservation of small cetaceans of the Baltic and North seas. [80069]
§ Mr. MeacherI have today published two sets of guidelines aimed at minimising disturbance to cetaceans in UK waters. The first is aimed at those involve in whale watching, both tour operators and members of the public768W who participate in tours; the second at those involved in recreational activities in UK coastal waters who may incidentally encounter cetaceans.
The Government are committed to protecting all species of whales, dolphins and porpoises and to maintaining healthy population levels for our and future generations. Where guidelines do not already exist we hope that this initiative will stimulate the development of locally targeted codes of conduct based on the over-arching principles contained in these guidelines.