Howell Marine Consulting (HMC) was contracted by Natural England (NE) to undertake the Marine Net Gain (MNG) Pilots Development Project.
To implement MNG, it needs to be established what is known and unknown about the potential implementation pathways, or delivery mechanisms for MNG, distinguishing between what is factual, verifiable information and what is opinion. Examples of implementation pathways are marine licensing, seabed leasing and fisheries management.
The project develops recommendations for pilots that will test implementation pathways to deliver MNG in English waters, thereby building the evidence base to support the development of MNG policy. For some pathways there was a need to establish if it can be used before considering how it could be used for the delivery of MNG.
Phase 1 of the project (see Annex 2 of this report) focused on understanding implementation pathways, then determines how measures using these pathways within the identified themes can be delivered. Identified themes were pressure reduction, active intervention, BNG:MNG interface, and strategic level restoration.
Phase 2 used the evaluation framework to frame targeted interviews with key stakeholders. Through these interviews the known status of each pathway was determined, alongside any uncertainty on whether the pathway can be used to deliver MNG interventions and how these uncertainties should be addressed.
The outputs are a set of recommendations on the next steps and work required to address uncertainties before pathways can be assessed through on the ground pilots.