UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy: consultation outcome report

Introduction

On 22 March 2021, the Scottish Government on behalf of the UK Government, Welsh Government and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, issued a consultation seeking views on the UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy (formerly the UK Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy). The consultation closed on 14 June 2021. This report provides an analysis of responses to the questions posed in the consultation document and describes the outcome of the consultation.

Context

The UK marine environment is one of the most biologically diverse in Europe, rich in both habitats and species. Whales, dolphins and porpoise (cetaceans) are commonly seen throughout UK waters. However, current pressures and emerging threats can impact these species in waters around the UK^[1]. Cooperation and collective action are therefore needed to tackle these impacts. With this in mind, the Scottish Government in partnership with the UK Government, Welsh Government, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the relevant statutory nature conservation bodies (SNCBs) committed to the development of an updated UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy.

The Strategy’s vision is to ensure the conservation and protection of cetaceans in UK waters, contributing to the UK’s vision for clean, healthy, safe, productive, and biologically diverse oceans and seas. The vision will be delivered by identifying where collaborative action could be taken to address the impacts of pressures, with the aim of working towards achieving and maintaining Good Environmental Status (GES) in UK waters.

Consultation

The public consultation sought views and comments on three documents, relating to the development of the UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy. These documents comprised:

• A high-level Strategy, which included the aims and objectives of the strategy; summary tables of the results of the vulnerability assessments and the actions derived from those.
• A technical report, providing the methodologies for the vulnerability and confidence assessments, full tables of results and further detail on existing measures.
• An action plan, providing a table for each of the actions to detail what each will look to address, the lead organisations, a description of the issue, links to other ongoing work and delivery partners.

The consultation contained five questions as follows:

1. Do you support the implementation of the UK Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy?

2. Do you agree that the evidence presented supports the case for the Strategy?

3. Do you have any comments on the vulnerability assessments and the conclusions reached?

4. Do you have any comments on the actions that have been identified in the Strategy?

5. Do you have any comments on the accessibility of the information in the documents?