Recommendation 6

We are disappointed that, two years on from the consultation, there is still no final version of the Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy. We recommend that Defra works closely with the Scottish Government to ensure that SMART targets be included in the final strategy for each species covered, on which the Administrations should work together (as opposed to each having their own targets and action plans). Defra should also work with the Scottish Government to expand the strategy to cover all 12 species cited as “regularly seen” in UK waters. The final strategy, including all these elements, should be published no later than January 2024.