A five capitals approach to defining the carrying capacity of English seas (MMO)

Overview of Requirement This project will undertake research through the five capitals approach - a lens through which to understand and quantify the carrying capacity of the east marine plan areas (more information can be found at The Five Capitals - a framework for sustainability | Forum for the Future). The Authority is at an early stage of understanding this approach and wish to explore the opportunities and challenges it presents. Some work has been done in relation to the natural capital part of this in the Marine Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme and also the Marine Pioneer (Marine pioneer - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)); this should be considered, utilised and built upon in this project.

Rationale The East Marine Plans were the first marine plans to be adopted in England in 2014, with the aim of ensuring future sustainable use of the marine area. In 2023 these plans will be amended as per the recommendation of the Secretary of State, following the last three-year progress report. With an increased roll out of offshore wind and other competing priorities for space, there is a desire for increased spatial specificity in the amended East Marine Plans. In order to understand and work through the trade-offs required from increased spatial specificity there is a need to better understand the carrying capacity of the east marine plan areas. Ultimately, as the aim is to ensure sustainable use, carrying capacity must be based on the basic premise that environmental state underpins capacity for the use of the environment. But the Authority would like the consideration of carrying capacity to encompass how other factors (human, economic, social) also affect opportunities for or barriers to development of further extension of activities in a marine plan area.

Project Aim The five capitals approach provides a lens through which to understand and quantify the carrying capacity of the east marine plan areas (more information can be found at The Five Capitals - a framework for sustainability | Forum for the Future). The Authority is at an early stage of understanding this approach and wish to explore the opportunities and challenges it presents. Some work has been done in relation to the natural capital part of this in the Marine Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme and also the Marine Pioneer (Marine pioneer - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)); this should be considered, utilised and built upon in this project.

The Authority want to use the East Marine Plans to develop a methodology and pilot (1) the application of this approach and (2) how we consider and discuss priorities and trade-offs with stakeholders. It is likely there will be future work to further explore this approach and methodology, and potentially roll it out for the remaining activities and sectors, and for the remaining plan areas.