Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Botswanan counterpart on the levels of rhino poaching in that country.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Secretary of State has not discussed the levels of rhino poaching with her counterpart in the Botswana Government. However, officials met with the Botswana delegation, including the Minister of Environment and Tourism, ahead of and during the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES COP19). Discussions covered a range of important biodiversity issues, including sustainable conservation and the challenges facing local communities living alongside large animals.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proposals his Department will be making for the proposed High Seas Biodiversity Treaty; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to agree a global high seas treaty that includes a legally-binding mechanism for the designation of marine protected areas on the high seas before the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to agree a global high seas treaty that includes a legally-binding mechanism for the designation of marine protected areas on the high seas before the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.
Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the resumed fifth session of the intergovernmental conference on marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, if the Government will support enabling the Conference of Parties of any high seas treaty to create marine protected areas.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with international counterparts to agree a global high seas treaty before the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Government will take steps to conclude a legally-binding mechanism for the designation of Marine Protected Areas on the high seas as part of a global high seas treaty ahead of the upcoming fifth session of the intergovernmental conference on marine biodiversity.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
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 has contacted the International Union for Conservation of Nature to request its view on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill on wildlife numbers in Africa.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Our approach on hunting trophies has been informed by our consultation and call for evidence on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies which ran between 2 November 2019 and 25 February 2020. As part of this exercise, we sought and received views and evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, including the International Union of the Conservation of Nature Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group.
The summary of responses and the Government response to the consultation were published in December 2021 and are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hunting-trophies-call-for-evidence.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his South African counterpart on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill on that country's (a) economy and (b) model of wildlife conservation.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government is at the forefront of international efforts to protect endangered animals and plants from poaching and illegal trade. The Hunting Trophies Bill is a further example of the UK's commitment to leading the way in protecting endangered animals. The UK regularly engages with counterparts in Southern Africa on these issues and engaged with Zambia and Botswana specifically regarding controls on the import and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK. More recently, in July 2022 Lord Goldsmith met the Botswanan Minister of Environment and Tourism and discussed the UK's proposal.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Namibian counterpart on the potential impact of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill on the (a) economy and (b) model of wildlife conservation in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government is at the forefront of international efforts to protect endangered animals and plants from poaching and illegal trade. The Hunting Trophies Bill is a further example of the UK's commitment to leading the way in protecting endangered animals. The UK regularly engages with counterparts in Southern Africa on these issues and engaged with Zambia and Botswana specifically regarding controls on the import and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK. More recently, in July 2022 Lord Goldsmith met the Botswanan Minister of Environment and Tourism and discussed the UK's proposal.