Source · Select Committees · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Deferred
Publish ambitious timetable for HPMAs designation and outline monitoring strategy by end of 2023
Recommendation
We believe HPMAs are an important tool in marine mammal conservation which can play a key role in ensuring sustainable marine ecosystems. We support the rollout of the three HMPAs due to be formally designated by July 2023 and wish to see others follow. It is vitally important that their introduction is subject to comprehensive and ongoing engagement with the fishing industry, especially given increasing spatial pressures. We call on the Government to publish an ambitious timetable for the designation of HPMAs and to outline their monitoring and enforcement strategy by the end of 2023. (Paragraph 43) Bycatch monitoring
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledged the commitment to considering further Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) and initiating baseline surveys. While an existing compliance strategy is in place, a tailored HPMA enforcement strategy will be developed by spring 2024, deferring the committee's requested end-of-2023 timeline for the strategy and not providing an ambitious timetable for designation.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
On HPMAs, we remain committed to considering further sites in 2023, as announced in February, and support the need for ongoing engagement with the fishing industry and other stakeholders. Development work for the consideration of future sites is underway, building on the feedback gathered during the previous process. We are already taking action to ensure we have the tools required for effective monitoring and enforcement of HPMAs. Baseline surveys for the newly designated HPMAs are expected to begin this year. We are also developing criteria to evaluate HPMAs from an ecological, social and economic perspective, including natural capital approaches. There is already an MMO compliance strategy in place to inform monitoring and enforcement for all MMO management measures and licensable activities, including for HPMAs. This will inform a tailored HPMA enforcement strategy by spring 2024.