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<p>At the United Nations General Assembly last September, the UK Government called
for 30% of the world’s oceans to be protected within Marine Protected Areas by 2030.
We are working both domestically and internationally to achieve this goal.</p><p>
</p><p>At home, we already have 314 marine protected sites, covering 24% of UK waters.
In addition, we have consulted on a further 41 Marine Conservation Zones. Sites to
be designated will be in place by 7 June. Around the UK Overseas Territories, including
Ascension Island, we are on track to deliver over 4 million km2 of protected ocean
by 2020. Overall more than 50% of all UK waters are set to be in Marine Protected
Areas.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2019 Spring Statement, the UK Government announced that
it is backing an Ascension Island bid to protect 100% of its offshore waters. Ascension
Island plans to designate over 445,00km<sup>2</sup> of its waters as a fully protected
no-take Marine Protected Area.</p><p> </p><p>Internationally, the UK is working together
with key stakeholders and other countries to secure agreement to a new global 30by30
target to be included as part of the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020
agenda for agreement at the Convention of Parties in China in 2020. Agreement of the
new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea for the conservation
and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction
is crucial for this target to be achieved. The UK is pushing hard for the new agreement
to be completed in 2020.</p>
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