Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the Seabird Conservation Strategy.

Defra is working with Natural England to develop a comprehensive and ambitious English Seabird Conservation Strategy (ESCS). This strategy will provide an assessment of the vulnerability of seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and propose a comprehensive set of actions to address them.

A significant amount of work has already been undertaken on development of the ESCS including a sensitivity review for English seabirds at sea, which will become a vital evidence-base for informing understanding of seabird sensitivities. However, largely as a consequence of COVID-19 impacts, we are now planning to consult with stakeholders on draft outputs during a series of engagement sessions starting in the summer and aim to publish a final ESCS in spring 2023.