Source · Select Committees · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Acknowledged
Prioritise marine mammal protection using the precautionary principle and research marine mammal diseases.
Recommendation
Species-level assessments can sometimes mask profound issues with specific populations or communities of marine mammals; for example, it is thought that the last remaining coastal community of killer whales in the UK will disappear within our lifetimes. It is also the case that new cetacean species and populations are being discovered which are then very quickly found to be threatened. For these reasons, taking a precautionary approach to policymaking is particularly important for marine mammal conservation. We also condemn the abuse of IWC guidelines whereby certain countries carry out de facto commercial operations under the guise of scientific research. While we acknowledge that the legal duty to have due regard in policymaking to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement, including the precautionary principle, does not come into force until 1 November 2023, Defra should prioritise marine mammal protection in the application of this principle when formulating relevant policy in advance of that date. Defra should also consider further research into disease in marine mammals. (Paragraph 18) Monitoring
Government Response Summary
The government agreed with the importance of applying the precautionary principle and prioritising marine mammal protection, noting that policymakers will consider its application ahead of the legal duty coming into force. However, the response did not address the recommendation for further research into marine mammal diseases.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The government agrees with the Committee on the importance of applying the precautionary principle when developing policy and prioritising marine mammal protection where appropriate. The legal duty to have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement (EPPS) when making policy comes into force on 1 November 2023. In advance of this, policy makers across Government will be considering how to apply the statement during relevant policy development. The UK is also a contracting party to a number of international multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). In the case of OSPAR, the Convention contains a version of the precautionary principle in Article 2(a)[1], which as a party to the Convention the UK must apply. We will continue to consider how best we can apply this approach, alongside other principles in the EPPS, within policy development in view of the threats to marine mammals and evidence gaps.