WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN MARINE SCIENCE INITIATIVES

The Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) has been collaborating with marine and fisheries research institutions in many East African countries. Recently, a few exciting regional programmes were developed, partly with ORI involvement.

The Jakarta Mandate

In 1993 the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) came into force and currently there are some 180 countries that formally implement the CBD. In order to ensure that the marine environment receives adequate attention, the CBD formulated a special programme with a focus on marine and coastal biodiversity. Known as the Jakarta Mandate, it was promulgated in 1995 and is an international agreement that has five principal areas of action -

Several of these actions are now being implemented, thanks to support from the Norwegian donor NORAD, WWF:USA and the World Conservation Union (IUCN:EARO) in Nairobi. One of the main tasks being undertaken is the assessment of small-scale fisheries. ORI has been assigned to lead this activity, in collaboration with partner institutions in Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, (including Zanzibar), Seychelles and Madagascar.

One important area of concern has been the historic neglect of assessment of small-scale fisheries. Not only are they of significance to the welfare of coastal communities, but they constitute a major influence on the biodiversity of the Western Indian Ocean. For this reason, the project will focus strongly on such fisheries. The first phase involves the identification of the many types of harvesting that make up these small-scale fisheries of the region. These range from a variety of low technology artisanal techniques to more sophisticated industrialised methods. All available information for each of these 100 plus fishing activities will be captured in a database. This will allow for a comprehensive analysis of the status of all the fisheries, not just the large-scale commercial enterprises. This will then facilitate better planning and management of these fisheries. Future phases will focus on those fisheries that require more intense investigation and management.

Artisanal fishers quinia netting

Besides the scientific and technical aspects of this project, there are great opportunities to further strengthen ties with collaborating scientists and institutions throughout the region.

South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Programme (SWIOFP)

Senior fishery officials from several East African countries met in Maputo recently to discuss the status of offshore fishery resources in the WIO. Initially promoted by the World Bank in Washington, this meeting resolved to develop a research programme that would eventually lead to the formulation of a multinational WIO fisheries management programme. Good progress can now be reported with considerable GEF funding already released. This has seen the secretariat being located at the Instituto Nacional de Investigacao Pesquiera (IIP) in Maputo. South Africa recently endorsed participation in the SWIOFP when the DG of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism approved the plans. Although MCM and ORI have been identified as executing institutions, the opportunities for involvement from other researchers in the SANCOR community is considerable. During November 2001, detailed activities for this five year programme will be finalised.

East African Marine Eco-region Assessment

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been spearheading a large-scale marine conservation approach in several selected marine eco-regions around the world. One that has recently attracted considerable attention is the East African Region (EAME), stretching from southern Somalia to northern KwaZulu-Natal. During a series of international expert workshops held in Kenya, this region was divided into four major sub-regions:

Key ecological features for each of these regions were delineated, generating 22 priority conservation areas, which were then further rated in terms of their global, regional or sub-regional importance. Excellent GIS facilities were made available to digitise and capture this information. The next step involves identifying the management initiatives underway in each of these conservation areas, the underlying threats to these as well as the prevailing socio-economic conditions. This "root cause analysis" should then provide guidance to future target-specific conservation and management actions.

Future plans?

There is a growing realization in East African countries that South African marine science can assist in solving regional problems and contribute to regional capacity building. SANCOR is uniquely positioned to play a significant role in this regard. While the links with expert marine scientists in the developed world should not be neglected, it is prudent, and scientifically rewarding to collaborate with African scientists.

Rudy van der Elst

Oceanographic Research Institute