AQW 20185/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 09/06/2021
Answered On Date: 23/06/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline the discussions he has had with his counterparts in the UK Government in relation to addressing the effect of ocean acidification.

Answer:

Although I have not had direct discussions with my UK counterparts, there is good collaboration across UK Government and all the devolved administrations through the UK Marine Strategy and the associated working groups. Work continues within these groups to better understand the physical, chemical and biological processes controlling the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). The UK Government and devolved administrations published the revised monitoring programme in March 2021 (Updated UK Marine Strategy Part Two). This Report summarises the collective work across the UK administrations and the regional co-ordination with neighbouring countries.

The primary focus is to better understand how ocean acidification is affecting our waters and it is acknowledged that more work is required to consider how best to address its effects on marine species, habitats and fisheries.

The Climate Change Risk Assessment 3 Report, published on 16 June acknowledges that more action is needed across the UK in understanding the impacts of ocean acidification