Seascapes Programme (Blue Planet Fund) Stakeholder Engagement Event

This notice is to promote interest in a Stakeholder Engagement Event for a new Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme called Seascapes which will aim to support international MPA networks in eligible countries. The first region it will support is the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), focussing on the marine corridor area (CMAR initiative).

We are hosting an information-gathering session for interested parties on Wednesday 19th April 2023. You are invited to join the web conference at 15:00-17:00 GMT.

The purpose of the event is to share information about the Seascapes Programme and gather information from key stakeholders to inform our future tender for the work to be carried out in the ETP region under the programme. We will outline the programme's rationale, aims and objectives in the ETP region. We will ask several questions of attendees, and request active participation. We would welcome participation from governments, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and research organisations, and other interested parties. We will run market engagement events for additional regions at a later date.

The event is not part of a tendering process, although there may be such opportunities in future years. Defra reserves the right not to commit to a commercial arrangement following this market engagement event.

Please register by following the instructions within the More Information section (Links) of this notice by 17th April at 17:00 GMT.

The event will take place in English.

Introduction to Seascapes Programme:

To support marine biodiversity through protected area networks, Defra is designing a Seascapes Programme (expected to be up to £50m) to support the effective implementation, management and enforcement of transboundary Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECM) networks, or 'Seascapes'. Well-managed Seascapes bring specific ecological benefits such as the survival of migratory species and strengthening ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. The programme aims to deliver outcomes through four pathways:

1. Biodiversity and MPA management 2. Incursion monitoring and enforcement 3. Institutional governance and financing 4. Livelihoods and communities

The programme will deliver in a minimum of three Seascapes. The first of these is planned to be in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, supporting CMAR, and delivery is planned to commence January 2024.

The CMAR initiative is a collaboration between Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama focused on the conservation and sustainable use of resources in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor. In 2021 the four countries agreed to expand and connect their MPAs to establish a transboundary MPA network that created migratory swimways for key marine species. The UK has provided some initial support to the region, and seeks to build on this through its Seascapes Programme.

Additional information: For registration to this event, please use the link provided in this notice above.