Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems Project

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Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine
Ecosystems Project
Project Objectives and Update on Activities
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Project Details

• COUNTRIES Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar,
  Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South
  Africa, Tanzania (Plus Somalia where
  possible)
• FUNDING GEF US12.2 Million.
• Co-funding US20 Million (primarily
  in-kind and from countries)
• TIMEFRAME 5 Years, until mid-2012

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ASCLME System Boundary

• The Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine
  Ecosystems

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Project Objectives

• To undertake an environmental baseline assessment
  of the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine
  Ecosystems in order to
• Capture existing information relevant to their
  management
• Identify and fill information gaps needed to
  improve LME-based management decision-making in
  the two LMEs and
• Ascertain the role of external forcing functions
  (such as the Mascarene Plateau and the South
  Equatorial Current)

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ASCLME PROGRAMME

• The GEF ASCLME Programme consists of three
  partner projects
• WIOLaB (UNEP) Addressing land-based activities
  in the Western Indian Ocean (Land-based
  pollution, coastal degradation, etc)
• SWIOFP (World Bank) Southwest Indian Ocean
  Fisheries Project addressing primarily offshore
  and some near-shore commercial fisheries
• ASCLME Project (UNDP) Addressing all
  oceanographic aspects (biological, chemical,
  physical) coastal artisanal and subsistence
  fisheries, persistent organic pollutants, larval
  transport, spawning and nursery areas

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PROJECT OUTCOME 1INFORMATION CAPTURED FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY DIAGN0STIC
ANALYSIS

• OUTPUTS
• 1.1 Review existing data available for
  development of the TDAs
• 1.2 Identification of gaps and data needs to
  populate the TDAs
• Offshore oceanographic information from priority
  areas
• Information on near-shore (artisanal) fisheries,
  nursery areas and other biologically rich habitat
  
• Information on Governance (management/policy
  processes)
• 1.3 Active offshore data collection to fill gaps
  where possible (research cruises, deployment of
  moored arrays, etc)
• 1.4 Baseline information on persistent organic
  pollutants using key indicator species

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PROJECT OUTCOME 2LONG-TERM DATA COLLECTION,
MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBUTION MECHANISMS ESTABLISHED

• OUTPUTS
• 2.1 Adoption of LME-based indicators and adoption
  of associated national and regional ME
  mechanisms
• 2.2 LME monitoring and evaluation requirements
  captured within institutional work programmes and
  budgets
• 2.3 Socio-economic evaluation of near-shore and
  marine goods and services (particularly to build
  political ownership)
• 2.4 Use of GIS and predictive models expanded to
  increase system knowledge

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PROJECT OUTCOME 3STRATEGIC ACTION PROGRAMME AND
SUSTAINABILITY MECHANISMS ADOPTED FOR AN LME
APPROACH

• OUTPUTS
• 3.1 TDAs and SAPs negotiated and adopted
• 3.2 Financial resources brokered to ensure the
  financial sustainability of monitoring,
  evaluation and information systems to support an
  LME approach
• 3.3 Institutional, programme and human capacity
  building and training requirements prioritised
  and addressed

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PROJECT OUTCOME 4LME COORDINATION,
COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS
ESTABLISHED

• OUTPUTS
• 4.1 Communication/coordination established with
  other related projects and institutions in the
  region (including linkages to other LME
  initiatives)
• 4.2 Key policy-makers sensitised and engaged in
  LME process
• 4.3 Stakeholder engagement, public involvement,
  participation, and environmental education
  initiatives are developed and implemented

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ASCLME Regional Project Management Structure
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ASCLME Programme Level

• Following discussions at the 1st ASCLME Steering
  Committee which included the two sister projects,
  it was agreed that the 3 Projects would meet
  under the Programmatic umbrella through
• A Programme Policy Committee (high-level
  decision-makers)
• A Programme Technical Committee (regional
  technical experts)
• Emphasis would be on cross-project technical
  cooperation coordination, and early
  policy-level ownership

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Project National Structure

• Each of the countries has an ASCLME National
  Focal Point (designated by the Government)
  through which all ASCLME information, requests
  and communications are channeled in-country.
• This is a senior level person within the Focal
  institution (some countries have also opted for a
  Technical Focal Point)

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Project National Structure

• In addition, each country has set up national
  Coordination Groups (COGs) to address
• Coordination requirements (includes the
  following logistics people)
• National Cruise Coordinator
• National Data and Information Coordinator
• National Capacity Building and Training
  Coordinator
• Plus Technical expertise identified for each of
  the modules
• Fish and Fisheries
• Productivity
• Ecosystem Health and Pollution
• Socioeconomics
• Management and Governance

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Role of the national COGs within the ASCLME
Project

• 1. Coordinate with the ASCLME Project and
  other Projects at the national level on
• a. Research Cruise Planning Implementation
• b. Capacity Building Training
• c. Data Information Management
• 2. Oversee the development of a national Marine
  Ecosystem Diagnostic Analysis. This is
  a national level Marine Ecosystem Approach that
  mirrors and supports the regional level efforts
  as represented in the TDA

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Project National Structure

• The National Coordination Groups have Terms of
  Reference to guide them. These ToR address the
  need to
• Coordinate the capture of data and information
  for the Marine Ecosystem Diagnostic Analyses
  (and thus the regional TDAs)
• Identify national capacity building training
  needs
• Coordinate research cruise requirements at the
  National Level
• Work closely with the national representatives
  of SWIOFP and WIO-LaB
• Raise awareness of the ASCLME process within
  national institutions
• Ensure effective and comprehensive in-country
  stakeholder input

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STRUCTURE OF THE NATIONAL MEDA

• Executive Summary
• General Description of Current Status of the
  National Marine Ecosystem
• Identification and Prioritisation of the National
  Marine Ecosystem and Resource Issues and
  Problems
• National Socio-economic Analysis
• National Governance and Management Analysis,
  including.
• Capacity Building and Training
• Data Storage and Management
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• F. Proposed Mechanisms for Solution and
  Mitigation of National Sustainable Marine
  Ecosystem Management Concerns
• (In particular this should address Legal, Policy
  and Institutional realignment toward an ecosystem
  approach (with identified funding requirements)

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PROGRESS TO DATE PART 1

• Set up of PCU (Grahamstown link to SAIAB/ACEP)
• Recruitment of Admin and Technical
  Staff/Consultants
• Rationalisation of Project Components and
  Activities
• Inception/Steering Committee
• i) Adoption of realigned Components and
  Activities
• ii) Adoption of updated Budget and Work-plans
• iii) Confirmation of field-work priorities
• Launch of ASCLME website (in 3 languages)
• Update of ASLME Chapters on LME website
• National dialogues to explain the MEDA-TDA
  approach

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PROGRESS TO DATE PART 2

• Implementation of ASCLME National Mechanisms e.g.
  selection of COGs
• Successful completion of 1st Training Programme
  (Agulhas countries)
• First Cruise (East Madagascar) completed. Second
  about to start (Mauritius to Seychelles via
  Mascarene Plateau
• First Regional COG meeting to adopt methods of
  developing the MEDA and mechanisms for
  coordinating
• A. Data and Information Management
• B. Capacity Building and Training
• C. Research Cruises and use of Vessels
• Regional Project Coordination Forum

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Updates to LME website
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2008 Cruise Plan (August December)
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ASCLME Research Cruises
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Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystem
Project
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME