Governing the marine environment

Environmental Audit Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 16 Dec 2024 Parliament page
The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on governing the marine environment, which will focus on the UK's environmental obligations under marine treaties and how the UK is delivering on them, as well as the Government's strategy for marine planning and protection in its domestic waters. Read the call … Read more
18 Recommendations
10 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
6 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 16 events
16 Oct
2025
Correspondence
9 Sep
2025
Report published
9 Sep
2025
Correspondence
26 Jun
2025
Correspondence
6 Jun
2025
Correspondence
5 Jun
2025
Report published
2 Apr
2025
Oral evidence
2 Apr
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
6 Mar
2025
Correspondence
5 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
5 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
12 Feb
2025
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
2 Apr 2025
View on parliament.uk
Panel 1; Panel 2
Emma Hardy MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Helen Mulvein OBE · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Michelle Willis · Marine Management Organisation Mike Rowe · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Olivia Thomas · The Crown Estate Ronan O’Hara · Crown Estate Scotland The Rt Hon. the Baroness Chapman of Darlington · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
5 Mar 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Andrew Bell · UNESCO Biosphere, North Devon Benj Sykes · Ørsted UK Jacques Villemot · Rewilding Britain Mark Russell · The Children’s Society Mark Simmonds · The British Ports Association Mike Cohen · National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO)
29 Jan 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Dr Gemma Harper OBE · Joint Nature Conservation Committee Gareth Cunningham · Marine Conservation Society Jennifer Godwin · Seabed User and Developer Group Professor Heather Koldewey · Zoological Society of London Professor Melanie Austen · University of Plymouth
8 Jan 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Alan Evans · National Oceanography Centre David Tomaney · UK Hydrographic Office Dr Michaela Schratzberger · Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) Professor Malgosia Fitzmaurice · Queen Mary University of London Professor Philippa Webb · University of Oxford Professor Richard Barnes · University of Lincoln
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report - Governing the marine environment HC 551 5 Jun 2025 28 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
Clear
3 Conclusion Acknowledged
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
Streamlined, transparent marine governance and stakeholder engagement are crucial for protection commitments.
A more streamlined and transparent approach to marine governance, underpinned by effective stakeholder engagement, is essential for the Government to meet its marine protection commitments and to ensure a balanced approach to managing the economic, social, and environmental demands placed … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating that stakeholder engagement is highly valued and central to policy, with significant current efforts. It commits to reviewing how to further improve engagement with stakeholders to ensure a balanced approach to marine governance.
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8 Conclusion Acknowledged
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
Confusion surrounds delivery timeline and methods for Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme
Clear and strategic spatial planning direction from the Government is necessary to guide decision-making, minimise conflicts, and ensure that marine space is allocated in a way that supports both environmental recovery and sustainable economic development. The Government’s proposed Marine Spatial … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledged the Marine Spatial Prioritisation (MSPri) programme's goals and ongoing work, particularly its focus on guiding offshore wind development and improving colocation, but did not clarify the specific timeline or delivery mechanisms that the Committee expressed concern about.
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10 Conclusion Acknowledged
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
Changes in marine spatial use will displace industries requiring support and planning
It is critical that the use of marine resources is sustainably governed through marine spatial planning and prioritisation. However, changes to the use of marine space will lead to direct consequences, including the displacement or reduction of activities, on certain … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, acknowledging the impacts of changing marine space use on sectors and nature. It references ongoing consultations on the UKMS Part One, stakeholder engagement through SSEP and MSPri, and the recently launched £360 million Fishing & Coastal Growth Fund to support the fishing industry.
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16 Recommendation Acknowledged
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
Reinstate DEFRA funding for sustained long-term data collection and monitoring at Lyme Bay.
We recommend that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) reinstates funding to ensure the long-term data collection and monitoring at Lyme Bay is sustained to enable scientific analysis of the benefits of whole-site approaches for marine protection. … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees the Lyme Bay research is valuable and states Defra is in discussion with Natural England to continue the long-term monitoring of the site, but does not confirm immediate reinstatement of funding or guarantee its sustainment.
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25 Conclusion Acknowledged
2nd Report - Governing the marine …
International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas' advisory opinion is authoritative and binding on the UK.
Elements of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas’ advisory opinion are authoritative and binding on the UK. (Conclusion, Paragraph 91)
Government Response
The government states it carefully considers the Tribunal’s Opinion and partially agrees with the conclusion, outlining its existing commitments under the Paris Agreement and ongoing actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy.
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Government Response AI assessment · 28 of 18 classified
Accepted 5
Accepted in Part 13
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 1
Rejected 4
Total 18 recs + 10 conclusions
Correspondence 6 letters
16 Oct 2025 To committee Letter from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to the Government response to the Governing the Marine Environment report
Parliament page
9 Sep 2025 From committee Letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to Governing the Marine Environment: Government Response, 9 September 2025
Parliament page
26 Jun 2025 To committee Letter from the Minister for the Indo-Pacific, FCDO, responding to the 6 June 2025 joint EAC and IDC letter to the Prime Minister relating to protection of the marine environment, dated 19 June 2025
Parliament page
6 Jun 2025 To committee Joint letter from the Chairs of the Environmental Audit Committee and the International Development Committee to the Prime Minister, relating to protection of the marine environment, dated 6 June 2025
Parliament page
6 Mar 2025 To committee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, responding to the Committee's letter relating to Government proposals for consenting processes for offshore infrastructure projects, dated 3 March 2025
Parliament page
12 Feb 2025 To committee Letter from the Chair of the Committee to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, relating to Government proposals for consenting processes for offshore infrastructure projects, dated 11 February 2025
Parliament page