Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 her Department's publication Our Action Plan for Animal Welfare, published on 12 May 2021, whether it is still her Department's policy to review restrictions on the import of (a) fur, (b) foie gras and (c) hunting trophies from endangered animals.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare outlined our intention to explore potential action on the import of animal fur. We have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties. We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector.
We are committed to building a clear evidence base to inform any potential future decisions relating to foie gras imports.
The Government has pledged to ban the import of hunting trophies from thousands of species. We are committed to a ban that is among the strongest in the world and leads the way in protecting endangered animals. We are supporting the Private Member’s Bill led by the Honourable Member for Crawley that will deliver this.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to fulfil the Government's manifesto pledge to ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered species.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
HM Government has pledged to ban the imports of hunting trophies from thousands of species. We are committed to a ban that is among the strongest in the world and leads the way in protecting endangered animals. We are supporting the Private Member’s Bill led by the hon. Member for Crawley that will deliver this.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
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 the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, when he will launch a call for evidence on the use of snares.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
If improperly used snares can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals. Used properly, some stakeholders consider them to be a valuable tool in the protection of rare and endangered species.
We are looking at how snares are regulated as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world, and working to ensure the regulated use of the most appropriate trap and cull method which causes the least suffering whilst providing the greatest protection to crops, game birds or endangered species
Through our Animal Action for Welfare Plan, published in May 2021, we are looking at whether changes need to be made to reflect concerns raised. Defra ministers are meeting with key external stakeholders and, once engagements are completed, we will be able to update on a timeframe for a call for evidence.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
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 the Answer of 29 September to Question 45245 on Trapping, when he plans to launch the call for evidence.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
If improperly used snares can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals. Used properly, some stakeholders consider them to be an valuable tool in the protection of rare and endangered species.
We are looking at how snares are regulated as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world, and working to ensure the regulated use of the most appropriate trap and cull method which causes the least suffering whilst providing the greatest protection to crops, game birds or endangered species.
Through our Animal Action for Welfare Plan, published in May 2021, we are looking at whether changes need to be made to reflect concerns raised. Defra ministers are meeting with key external stakeholders and, once engagements are completed, we will be able to update on a timeframe for a call for evidence.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy is on the importing of (a) fur and fur products, (b) foie gras and (c) hunting trophies; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare outlined our intention to explore potential action on the import of animal fur. We have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties. We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector.
The production of foie gras by force feeding is banned in the UK as it is incompatible with our domestic legislation. We are committed to building a clear evidence base to inform any potential future decisions relating to imports.
HM Government has pledged to ban the imports of hunting trophies from thousands of species. We are committed to a ban that is among the strongest in the world and leads the way in protecting endangered animals. We are supporting the Private Member’s Bill led by the hon. Member for Crawley that will deliver this.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department takes to protect endangered species in the UK.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Species of conservation concern are provided robust legal protection, primarily through the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. The police are the main enforcement agency for this legislation and Defra has more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit to £1.2 million over the next three years to target wildlife crime priorities.
The habitats of many endangered species are afforded statutory protection as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). We are committed to restoring 75% of our one million hectares of SSSIs by area to favourable condition by 2042, a key goal within our 25 Year Environment Plan. This will enable SSSIs to fully contribute to our Environment Act target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Commonwealth nations with preventing trophy hunting in (a) Asia and (b) Africa.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Trophy hunting takes place lawfully in many countries around the world, including Commonwealth countries. Decisions on the legality and standards of trophy hunting are made by national or local governments. HM Government has pledged to ban the imports of hunting trophies from thousands of species. We are committed to a ban that is among the strongest in the world and leads the way in protecting endangered animals. We are supporting the Private Member's Bill led by the hon. Member for Crawley that will deliver this.
A number of official development assistance programmes are working in Africa, including the UK's Darwin Initiative, which aims to deliver on biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction; the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund to counter illegal wildlife trade in animals and plants; and the UK's £100 million Biodiverse Landscape Fund, which will protect biodiversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainable livelihoods. We are not aware of any other direct support HM Government is providing to Commonwealth countries to prevent trophy hunting.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect the biodiversity of Henderson Island.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO Blue Belt Programme supports the Government of the Pitcairn Islands to manage the large Marine Protected Area, which covers the Territory's waters including Henderson Island. Scientific surveys to Henderson Island have assessed marine litter, coral reefs, and fish and cetacean species. The Conflict Security and Stability Fund has funded a new marine science base on Pitcairn. In addition, the Defra Darwin Plus scheme is funding several projects of benefit to Henderson Island, including one on the feasibility of removing rodents, and one on understanding the importance of the Marine Protected Area for an endangered population of humpback whales.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department will respond formally to the recommendations in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit Report: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published in August 2021.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We welcome this report and the fact that it recognises the UK's global leadership in fighting wildlife and forestry crime. We invited the UN to undertake this analysis and we are proud to be the first G7 country to request this assessment.
We are carefully considering all the recommendations to help us build on the positive progress we have already made in tackling wildlife crime. This will include strategic engagement with our partners that have responsibilities where individual recommendations are concerned such as the devolved administrations, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
Progress has already been made in response to the report. For example, this year Defra has more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) from £165,000 per year to over £1.2 million over the next three years. Additionally, Border Force has increased numbers in their team specialising in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Defra is not under any obligation to formally respond to the UNODC's assessment, but we will identify where we can act, including with stakeholders, to strengthen the UK's approach to tackling wildlife and forestry crime.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered animal species.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Global biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate. Whilst we have no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered animal species, we remain fully committed to ensuring our most vulnerable biodiversity is protected. This includes by working with countries to agree an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework at the forthcoming Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties (CoP15) being held in December this year.