Birds: Marine Protected Areas
(asked on 16th March 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to undertake a Special Protection Area review for the Marine Protected Area network for seabirds.
Answered by
Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 19th March 2026
As part of the England Marine Protected Area (MPA) network review we are considering designations and MPA protection for seabirds. The review is mapping hotspots of seabird activity in English seas to understand how these relate to current Special Protection Areas (SPAs). This work will help to inform next steps for our approach to designations for seabirds.