APPG Vice-Chair leads debate on ocean conservation and stewardship
Today, the APPG for the Ocean Vice-Chair Tristan Osborne MP led a Westminster Hall debate on ocean conservation and stewardship, highlighting the importance of healthy seas and the action needed to protect them.
The debate explored key challenges facing our ocean, including strengthening Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), supporting sustainable fisheries, tackling marine pollution and advancing the UK’s international leadership on ocean protection. Tristan highlighted that MPA designation does not necessarily ensure effective protection, raising concerns about continued bottom trawling within these areas and calling for a clear timetable for the Government’s response to the Stage 3 consultation.
These priorities reflect recommendations in the APPG’s recent report, which calls for stronger protections for MPAs by restricting harmful practices such as bottom trawling, ensuring effective monitoring and embedding conservation within marine planning.