4th Special Report - Governing the marine environment: Government Response

This is the government's response, published 9 September 2025.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government's response to the Committee's 16 recommendations is mixed: it agrees with some, partially agrees with many, and disagrees with others, giving reasons in each case.

• On a lead department for marine governance, it says it "partially agrees", stating that "it would not be appropriate to have one department making all the balancing and prioritisation decisions". Defra will publish a report on its 'marine systems map' work "by early 2026".
• It disagrees with updating the Marine Policy Statement within six months, saying an update "would be very resource intensive" and "would take much longer than six months". It points instead to a Sustainable Ocean Plan by 2027.
• On banning seabed damaging practices in offshore Marine Protected Areas, it partially agrees: it says "blanket bans are disproportionate and not in line with legislation" and restricts only fishing assessed as damaging to protected features. It disagrees with setting a specific target for Highly Protected Marine Areas.
• On the High Seas Treaty, it partially agrees, saying it "has committed to introduce the legislation by the end of the year", which is needed to implement the agreement ahead of ratification.

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