Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill 2025-10-16

The Bill marks significant progress following previous Government efforts. The current government is managing to find the time to get this important legislation through Parliament.

Acknowledges the Minister's engagement with stakeholders, including devolved Administrations, and requests that her officials work closely with them on international impact.

Welcomes the Bill but criticises the UK Government for ignoring advice to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas. The Minister responds by confirming a consultation is underway to ban bottom trawling in 41 of our MPAs.

Thanks the Minister for introducing the Bill and emphasises the importance of fishermen's knowledge as we move forward with marine biodiversity initiatives.

The Bill is an important piece of legislation that will enable the UK to participate fully in global efforts to conserve and sustainably use the ocean beyond national jurisdiction. It provides powers for the UK to implement internationally agreed measures, manage marine protected areas, and adapt domestic marine licensing legislation to meet new international standards. The Bill supports the Government’s broader environmental and international goals, including protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.

Acknowledges the importance of protecting our oceans but expresses concern over unintended consequences. Highlights Britain’s leadership in marine conservation through initiatives like the blue belt programme, which has created extensive marine protected areas. Criticises the Government for handing over British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius, citing poor environmental protection records and concerns about alignment with China.

Acknowledges Andrew Rosindell's points on marine conservation but questions why the Conservatives have not raised issues regarding the Chagos Islands in debates. Mentions the importance of conserving fish stocks and biodiversity around the islands.

Questions Andrew Rosindell's stance on Mauritius, noting that Mauritius was an early signatory to the UN global ocean treaty. Asks what his point is with this statement.

Expresses concerns about the ratification process of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill, questioning its impact on parliamentary oversight, bureaucratic costs, financial implications, British industries like fishing and offshore energy, intellectual property protection for marine genetic research, and the impact on overseas territories like Chagos.

Clarifies that the debate is about biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction and suggests reading explanatory notes alongside the Bill to address concerns raised by Andrew Rosindell.

Praises the historic nature of the debate on ocean conservation, highlighting threats like climate change, illegal fishing, and deep-sea mining. She emphasises the importance of international cooperation for protecting two-thirds of the world's oceans that lie outside national jurisdiction.

Supports Sarah Champion's stance, emphasising the need for global leadership and citing the International Development Committee’s work on pushing for ratification. He highlights the importance of protecting small island developing states that heavily rely on oceans.

The UK must seize the moment to match its international conservation ambitions with tangible action. Bottom trawl fishing is still permitted across almost all of the UK’s seas, including in more than 90% of our marine protected areas. The Bill offers opportunities for the UK’s blue economy as a world leader in marine science and technologies.

Welcomes the Bill, which provides legal framework to deliver on high seas treaty. Emphasises importance of protecting biodiversity, regulating climate, absorbing carbon dioxide. Critiques overfishing and plastic pollution. Calls for stronger domestic action on marine protection.

Supports the Bill, highlighting importance of oceans as a carbon sink and host to life forms. Discusses threats such as overfishing, plastic pollution, ocean acidification, and exploitation in industrial-scale fishing. Emphasises need for sustainable fisheries management.

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse welcomed the Bill but stressed that less than 1% of high seas are fully protected. She highlighted the alarming levels of plastic pollution and unsustainable fishing practices, urging for a ban on bottom trawling in marine protected areas. Hobhouse encouraged ratification of the ocean treaty and emphasised the need to manage territorial waters effectively with reforms to the fishing quota distribution system. She also called for improved transparency around enforcement and monitoring of fishing activities.

Andy criticises the Conservative party for lack of engagement in environmental debates. He expresses disappointment over the absence of Backbench MPs and urges the Opposition to engage seriously with environmental issues. Andy acknowledges the lukewarm support from the previous Government but emphasises the importance of backing this legislation. He highlights the effectiveness of marine conservation efforts, urging the Government to go further in protecting marine protected areas.

Dr Roz Savage discusses her personal experience rowing across oceans to raise awareness about environmental issues. She emphasises the ocean's fragility and vulnerability, highlighting the need for a global treaty to protect high seas areas beyond national jurisdiction. Dr Savage urges the Government to ensure proper co-ordination, funding, enforcement mechanisms, and transparency in implementing the BBNJ treaty.

Our scientists are ready to lead. The National Oceanography Centre, with its cutting-edge research and fleet of autonomous submersible vessels—including one known as Boaty McBoatface—is already mapping deep sea currents and gathering the knowledge we need to understand and protect the ocean.

The BBNJ treaty is the missing part of the jigsaw. It creates a framework for the establishment of protected areas on the high seas, but it does not create those protected areas itself. We must do so not in order to understate what the Bill does, but to understand clearly what action we must take following its passage.

I pay tribute to the work of the previous Conservative Administration, who expanded the blue belt programme to nominally protect more than 4 million sq km of ocean. However, given that £2 million of this £8.6 million comes from official development assistance, which itself is being cut, I hope it will not seem churlish if I ask that the programme be ringfenced for the future.

The history of these great mammals shows just why we now need the BBNJ. Human greed will destroy biodiversity wherever it is found on our planet, unless we act decisively to regulate our most destructive activities.

The UK has been a world leader with the blue belt programme, but at home we continue to practise the opposite of what we preach. Despite continued advice from scientists to reduce catch quotas, that reduction has not happened.

High seas fisheries often have unimaginably high levels of bycatch. This is particularly true of tuna fisheries, because tuna often school with other pelagic species, such as dolphins, manta rays and billfish.

European eels are critically endangered, facing threats such as climate change and pollution. Creating eel passes and banning bottom trawling in marine protected areas would protect these species. Measures to safeguard the Sargasso sea and other vital breeding grounds should be prioritised.

The commitment to the BBNJ treaty can be tested by how well we protect marine areas like those around the Chagos islands. These waters are essential for preserving biodiversity and supporting endangered species globally.

The UK and Mauritian Governments are committed to promoting the conservation of the environment of the archipelago. However, there is no funding mechanism in place to ensure proper marine protection in the Chagos archipelago.

Expressed concern about the lack of a dedicated funding mechanism for marine protection in the Chagos agreement, emphasising the importance of following the example set by the BBNJ agreement to ensure future conservation efforts.

Highlighted that there is no incentive or funding mechanism for marine protection in the Chagos archipelago, suggesting that the treaty should have followed the lead of the BBNJ agreement to ensure long-term environmental protection.

Welcomed the Government's leadership on this issue and supported the Bill for enacting the UN high seas treaty, emphasising its importance in protecting marine life and ecosystems globally. He also discussed the significance of the Met Office’s role in climate science and ocean research.

Welcomed the Bill for signaling the Government's commitment to multilateralism, emphasising that it will help protect biodiversity in large expanses of seas beyond national waters. He also stressed the importance of implementing the treaty effectively and continuing to advocate for global marine protection.

The Bill is crucial for protecting our oceans and biodiversity. The legislation will establish marine protected areas, regulate deep-sea mining and destructive fishing, and ensure equitable sharing of marine science benefits. It supports the 30% ocean protection by 2030 goal. The high seas are vital for carbon absorption, weather regulation, and oxygen production. We must take action to lead other countries in making a difference.

The Bill is essential for protecting our natural environment by providing a legal framework to ratify the UN BBNJ agreement. It addresses the need for protection of deep sea ecosystems and endangered species from industrial fishing practices like bottom trawling. The UK must be at the table for the treaty’s first COP to protect its national interests, including the 8 million seabirds that rely on the high seas.

Supporting the Bill as it enables the UK to ratify the UN BBNJ agreement and address threats like overfishing, pollution, and deep sea mining in international waters. The legislation will extend marine licensing requirements and mandate environmental outcome reports for harmful activities. It also ensures transparency in the collection of marine genetic resources, embedding safeguards like 'polluter pays' principle.

The oceans are under strain from climate change, pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and plastics. The high seas treaty represents a significant step forward but the success will depend on enforcement and funding for marine protected areas. Bottom trawling should be banned in all marine protected areas to ensure their protection.

The high seas treaty is a welcome move towards managing international waters, reflecting the obligation to create a system of management. The Bill creates licence for marine protection areas in international waters which supports genetic heritage research and conservation efforts. Questions remain about enforcement, dispute resolution, and funding.

Discussed marine conservation issues, emphasising the importance of academic institutions and their role in research.

Highlighted the destruction of the marine environment and supported efforts to protect it.

Contributed to the debate by discussing the importance of understanding marine environments, particularly in relation to climate change impacts.

Spoke on the need for media coverage that does not shy away from showing the severity of issues like bottom trawling.

Discussed his constituency's involvement in marine conservation efforts and supported the Marine Conservation Bill.

Supported the Marine Conservation Bill, emphasising the importance of its passage through the House.

Praised academic institutions in his constituency for their role in marine conservation research and efforts.

Expressed expertise and passion for ocean protection, highlighting the importance of addressing marine environment destruction.

Brought wide-ranging experience to the debate, emphasising the need for multilateralism in marine conservation efforts.

Discussed issues like marine deforestation and media coverage of shocking environmental footage, urging not to hide from the severity of problems.

Emphasised the importance of mainstream media in raising awareness about marine conservation issues.

Commented on the Conservative party's record in marine conservation, expressing regret over how it was approached by some members.

Stressed the importance of the ocean as a solution to climate change and questioned whether giving up on fisheries from EU with EU reset is fully supported.

Asked about guarantees that Mauritius will protect the Chagos archipelago in the same way as the UK, emphasising the need to ensure protection of this vital area under both Labour and Conservative Governments.

Responded that both the UK and Mauritius attach great importance to protecting marine biodiversity. The UK will still manage environmental protection on Diego Garcia and the surrounding 12 nautical miles, with ongoing discussions for a separate written agreement regarding a marine protected area.

Addressed concerns about protecting intellectual property rights, clarifying that the Secretary of State will not transmit information to the clearing-house mechanism that would be protected under intellectual property or trade secrets law. Reiterated the importance of ratification and implementation processes.

Asked for clarification on specific points, though time constraints prevented a detailed response in the debate.