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 data his Department holds on the species from which the greatest proportion of hunting trophies was imported in each of the past five years.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK records data on import permits for hunting trophies of certain species. An import permit is required for hunting trophies of all species listed on Annex A of the Wildlife Trade Regulations, and 6 species listed on Annex B.
Data on the international trade in endangered species, including information about UK imports of hunting trophies, is published in the CITES trade database (available online at trade.cites.org). The UK has submitted data for 2022 imports, which will be publicly available shortly.
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 data his Department holds on the number of hunting trophies imported in each of the past five years.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK records data on import permits for hunting trophies of certain species. An import permit is required for hunting trophies of all species listed on Annex A of the Wildlife Trade Regulations, and 6 species listed on Annex B.
Data on the international trade in endangered species, including information about UK imports of hunting trophies, is published in the CITES trade database (available online at trade.cites.org). The UK has submitted data for 2022 imports, which will be publicly available shortly.
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 data his Department holds on the number of individuals who have imported hunting trophies in each of the past five years.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK records data on import permits for hunting trophies of certain species. An import permit is required for hunting trophies of all species listed on Annex A of the Wildlife Trade Regulations, and 6 species listed on Annex B.
Data on the international trade in endangered species, including information about UK imports of hunting trophies, is published in the CITES trade database (available online at trade.cites.org). The UK has submitted data for 2022 imports, which will be publicly available shortly.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to amend the Blue Belt Programme to (a) increase protections for endangered bird species, (b) conserve fishing stocks and (c) protect the ocean floor.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO's Blue Belt Programme provides the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) with support, training and technical expertise to protect species and habitats within their waters. Each OT is unique, therefore the management and protective measures are Territory specific. For example, OTs have put in place measures to protect sea-bird species; established sustainable and precautionary fishing practices to conserve fish stocks and have banned damaging fishing practices (such as benthic trawlers) and hydrocarbon removal to protect the ocean floor. The Programme will continue to support OTs with the protection and sustainable management of their marine environment.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Nghe An Province in Vietnam is providing a backdoor route for the trafficking from Laos of Asiatic Black Bears, in contravention of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have made no assessment or held any discussions with the government of Vietnam on the trafficking or illegal captivity of Asiatic Black Bears. However, in April 2023 Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Thérèse Coffey visited Vietnam and met with her counterparts in the Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. During this visit the important role of Vietnam in tackling the Illegal Wildlife Trade was discussed.
The UK government fully opposes any intimidation of individuals carrying out official duties and is supportive of a proportionate response that reflects international commitments and due process.
Asked by: Barbara Keeley (Labour - Worsley and Eccles South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making the Eurostar St Pancras a CITES designated Point of Entry of Exit.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government has closely considered the case for designating St Pancras as a CITES Point of Entry and Exit (PoE), including data and information provided by stakeholders. Given the nature of CITES trade and the demands a PoE would place on the terminal’s resources and facilities, we do not consider it appropriate to designate it at this time. Since leaving the EU, we have worked to expand the number of PoE across the UK. This ensures the movement of CITES goods can take place in the most efficient way possible. Defra keeps the list of designated PoEs under review and will continue to work closely with Border Force and industry to evaluate and update the PoE list as appropriate.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
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 is taking steps to help support Royal Botanic Gardens to protect rare flowers at risk of being endangered.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Defra provides grant in aid funding which supports RBG Kew in delivering its statutory responsibilities under the National Heritage Act. These responsibilities include to ‘care for their collections of plants, preserved plant material, other objects relating to plants, books and records’ and to ‘carry out investigation and research into the science of plants and related subjects, and disseminate the results of the investigation and research’
Kew’s living collection houses many rare species, some of which are extinct in the wild. Approximately 90 plants and 24 fungi were newly named in 2022 by Kew and partners alone, of which many are extremely rare species threatened with extinction.
Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency provide funding to Kew to support their work, as the UK CITES Scientific Authority for plants, in assessing and advising on the sustainability of international trade in over 30,000 plant species listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Kew are working to identify and map Tropical Important Plant Areas in critical sites for plant conservation across the tropics. This project’s work in the UK’s overseas territories is part funded by the Darwin Plus scheme.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the International Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Evidence FY19-21 Grant.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
This grant contributed towards the Gough Island Restoration Programme that aimed to eradicate mice and save critically endangered seabirds from extinction. Unfortunately, mice have since been found present on the island despite efforts to eradicate the species. Although the eradication attempt was not successful, in the short-term the programme did lead to significantly higher levels of seabird breeding success: the Critically Endangered MacGillivray’s Prions had a breeding success of 82% in 2021/22 and 62.9% in 2022/23 compared to an average of 6% from 2014-2020.
An independent review commissioned in October 2022 by the RSPB, as project leads, has concluded that multiple factors led to the continuing survival of mice on Gough Island. Factors included competition from invertebrates for bait, and the hypothesis that some mice are now accustomed to a more protein rich diet and thus did not eat sufficient bait. The review process is ongoing.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of negotiating a waiver to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora regulations for UK musicians looking to (a) tour and (b) work temporarily in EU countries.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) places obligations on Parties to ensure international trade in wildlife is legal and sustainable.
Defra has worked closely with industry since leaving the EU to understand trade volumes and value, and to look at ways to minimise burdens and friction without reducing our high standards of environmental protection.
One option if travelling with a musical instrument for performance purposes is to apply for a CITES Musical Instrument Certificate (MIC). This is a streamlined process, specifically for musicians, which facilitates repeat movements over the course of three years. MICs are currently free of charge.
Defra will continue to work collaboratively with industry and other stakeholders to understand their needs, balance them against our duty to protect wildlife under the Convention, and identify priorities, as we prepare for the next meeting of the CITES Conference of Parties in 2025.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the requirement for musicians to ensure that their instruments comply with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora regulations when travelling to EU countries on the revenue generated by musicians.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) places obligations on Parties to ensure international trade in wildlife is legal and sustainable.
Defra has worked closely with industry since leaving the EU to understand trade volumes and value, and to look at ways to minimise burdens and friction without reducing our high standards of environmental protection.
One option if travelling with a musical instrument for performance purposes is to apply for a CITES Musical Instrument Certificate (MIC). This is a streamlined process, specifically for musicians, which facilitates repeat movements over the course of three years. MICs are currently free of charge.
Defra will continue to work collaboratively with industry and other stakeholders to understand their needs, balance them against our duty to protect wildlife under the Convention, and identify priorities, as we prepare for the next meeting of the CITES Conference of Parties in 2025.