§ Lord Eden of Wintonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking, or have under consideration, as part of the environmental management of United Kingdom coasts and seas, to introduce areas of high protection so as to restore natural population structures of exploited marine species. [HL3931]
§ Lord WhittyWe have recently received a report from the Review of Marine Nature Conservation Working Group which makes recommendations to government on possible measures to improve the protection afforded to important marine features and ecosystems, including what use could be made of marine protected areas. The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit recent report on fisheries,Net Benefits, also recommends that an experimental programme of marine protected areas should be developed. The Government will be developing their response to these recommendations in the coming months. The issue of marine protected areas is also being considered through the UK's involvement in the OSPAR Convention.
In addition, we are currently preparing regulations to extend the application of the Habitats and Birds Directives to the offshore marine area which will allow the designation of sites for species of European importance. We have already identified the Darwin Mounds as a candidate site and through the Common Fisheries Policy the EU have introduced measures to protect the site from damaging fishing activities. To date there are 71 special protection areas for birds and 62 candidate special areas of conservation which contain an inshore marine element.