GEF / UNEP / FAO

CANARY CURRENTLARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEM

EMERGING ISSUES & FUTURE CHALLENGES

by

Birane SAMBERegional Coordinator

GEF INTERNATIONAL WATERS SCIENCE CONFERENCE

Bangkok , 24-26 September 2012

EMERGING ISSUES

• Productivity : Climate change

• Fish & fisheries : Overexploitation

• Pollution & ecosystem health : Critical habitats and main pollution sources

• Socio-economic : Loss of incomes and revenues

• Governance : Lack of concerted mechanism to maintain resource sustainability

Project information

• Implementation of the full phase started 1 April 2010

• FAO and UNEP (through Abidjan Convention)

• GEF funding with co-financing from countries/partners

• 7 participating countries in West Africa

• RCU in Dakar, Senegal

CCLME project objective :

“To reverse the degradation of the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem

caused by over-fishing, habitat modification and changes in water quality

by adoption of an ecosystem approach”

ProductivityNorth West Africa

Warm period: 1930-1960

Cold period: 1960 - 1980

Warm period: 1980- Continue

Fish and FisheriesEVOLUTION OF FISH CATCHES IN CCLME AREA

1950 to 2010

Overexploitation demersals and vulnerability of small pelagics

GOVERNANCE INSTRUMENTS & STRUCTURES

Orientation provided by global conventions, declarations & codes

Some significant regional instruments & structures:

• 1966 – ICCAT (international tuna commission)• 1967 – CECAF Fisheries Committee C E Atlantic• 1972 – OMVS (River Senegal)• 1978 – OMVG (River Gambia)• 1981 – Abidjan Regional Seas Convention• 1985 – Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission• 1991 – ATLAFCO fisheries convention• 2003 – regional marine protected areas strategy• Regional trade organisations (ECOWAS, UEMOA)• Bilateral agreements in fisheries, trade, oil & gas etc. (e.g. AGC)

MANY PARTNERS TO WORK WITH…

The major challenges ahead• General & specific priority trans-boundary issues identified by the

countries of the CCLME (decline marine resource, habitat degradation and water quality)

• Ensure the full participation of stakeholders in the assessment and planning process

• Mobilizing all the sources of expertise to share knowledge and information and contribute to the assessment process

• Achieving political commitment to an ecosystem based action plan (SAP)

• Bringing diverse regional organizations (fisheries commission, river basin authorities, agencies) into operational partnership

• Demonstrating the benefits of joint actions using an ecosystem approach

• Develop effective operational links with other African programs – NEPAD, other LMEs, GOOS etc.

• Mobilize the necessary financial resources and political commitments for the long term

Thank you for your attention