29 Jun 2023
The call from MP and vet Neil Hudson follows the release of a new report, which argued the UK should not agree new international trade deals without marine mammal protection commitments.
Allister Webb
Job TitleMP and vet Neil Hudson has called for the UK to be “a global beacon” of biodiversity after a new report demanded new measures to preserve marine life.
The document from the House of Commons’ EFRA committee, of which Dr Hudson is a member, said the UK should not sign any new international trade deals without specific marine mammal protection commitments.
It also called for a legal loophole allowing some marine mammal body parts to be transferred from one vessel to another through UK ports, a process known as transshipping, to be closed.
Dr Hudson, the MP for Penrith and the Border, said: “We need to stand up as a global beacon of biodiversity conservation best practice.
“From now on, we must demand the highest standards for our new trading partners in order to better protect dolphins, whales, walruses and all manner of marine mammals.
“We must exert international pressure on countries who still horrifically hunt marine mammals, and use our diplomatic influence when we negotiate trade or fishing agreements with these countries.
“Global biodiversity is in crisis and, as a vet, I believe passionately that we must give a voice to the voiceless animals that inhabit our planet and protect them for generations to come.”
The report said Government initiatives to protect marine mammals were welcomed, but should be adopted faster with more detailed assessment and greater cooperation with the devolved administrations.
The committee also called for an action plan to be drawn up by the end of the year to reduce cases of bycatch, which research has estimated kills more than 650,000 marine mammals every year.
Several nations, including Iceland, Japan and Norway, still practise hunting of certain marine species for meat or body parts, and the report urges the UK to use its “soft power” on the subject in international negotiations.
It added: “We recommend that the UK should not agree any new trade deal that does not include a specific commitment to marine mammal conservation.”
