PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Cetaceans: Conservation (23 November 2017)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce any new measures to (a) prevent the unintentional capture of dolphins, whales and porpoises in fishing nets and (b) require post-mortem examinations when dolphins, whales or porpoises die in fishing nets.

Asked by:
Kerry McCarthy (Labour)

The Government is working with stakeholders to develop a UK Cetacean Bycatch Strategy to address the issue of unintentional capture of dolphins, whales and porpoises. The strategy will focus on implementing practical solutions in areas where there are high levels of bycatch.

The Government funds a widely respected UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme. This scheme carries out post-mortem examinations to investigate the causes of death of stranded cetaceans around the UK coast, improving our understanding of, and ability to tackle, key threats like bycatch.

Answered by:
George Eustice (Conservative)
30 November 2017