To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on securing international support for Antarctic marine protection.

Ocean protection issues have been a key point of discussion among Ministers at recent G7 and G20 meetings, as the UK continues to be a global leader in marine conservation. Within the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the UK is working proactively to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) around Antarctica. At its next meeting in October, CCAMLR will consider the UK co-sponsored proposals for establishing MPAs in the East Antarctic and Weddell Sea. International consultations on these proposals are underway at official and technical levels.