§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will take immediate action to protect the coldwater reefs known as the Darwin Mounds; and [HL2991]
36WAWhether they will raise with their European colleagues the protection of deep water habitats in European waters, following the study by Dr Jason Hall-Spencer on Destruction of Ancient Coral Reefs. [HL2992]
§ Lord WhittyWe are currently taking steps to implement the site identification and protection requirements of the EU Habitats Directive beyond territorial waters where we claim sovereign rights. As part of this process, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has been commissioned to identify and agree relevant habitats and species in the 12 to 200 mile marine zone; to develop selection criteria and refine habitat definitions; and to collate known data on those habitats and species. The JNCC is due to report in April and we plan to host a European conference to discuss the findings of the report during the summer. Subject to the conclusions of the JNCC report, the Darwin Mounds appear to be a strong candidate for site protection under the directive as a special area of conservation (SAC).
The UK has raised with the European Commission on several occasions the issue of effective implementation of the directive beyond territorial waters. In a letter of 21 June 2001, we alerted the Commission to the existence of the Darwin Mounds and reported the possibility of damage by Community fishing vessels. Only the European Commission could propose legislation to control all member states' vessels working in this area.