COP 22: "Oceans Lead to Prosperity, End Hunger and Poverty," Africa Says
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| Image Blue Ventures Magadascar taken by Garth Cripps |
It does not take a genius to understand that African Oceans are among the richest environments on this planet. From the Atlantic to the Southern Ocean to the Pacific, to the mystical North African Mediterranean Coasts, the endless kilometers of coats, rural areas, iconic Central Cities and majestic islands which rise from the depths of underwater mountain chains, the African Oceans have everything...and then some more.
The use of the oceans in the region has always been a way of life, of culture and heritage but today's World the region is inflicted by Global and local issues -climate change, natural disasters, drought, poverty and hunger and malnutrition and health impacts. However, there is a movement that is looking deep into the oceans for its potential to bring real solutions to serious problems.
On September 2, 2016 African Ministers meeting in Mauritius for a Conference released the Mauritius Communique. Voices of African leaders spoke clearly and in one voice under the new document.
The IISD International Institute for Sustainable Development Press Office present at the Summit -part of a Stop of the Road to COP 22 reported that African Ministers have adopted a new Communique (Agreement) and it is a document designed to build “Climate-Smart Ocean Economies”.
Agreements are not usually reached in Summits and Conferences. Historically Ocean Agreements are even less scarce, so the reaching of the Mauritius Communique is historical.
The Mauritius Communique assures its goal is to sustain the lives of millions of Africans.
"Healthy and productive oceans are critical for combating rural poverty, ensuring food security, improving nutrition and achieving Zero Hunger," the General Director of the Food and Agriculture Office FAO José Graziano da Silva said at the meeting.
The Head of the United National Agricultural Agency spoke about the challenges that are in the way of ocean sustainable development. Climate change, illegal fishing and management were detailed as the main issues to counter. Coastal Community Fisheries and Aquaculture became stars as they emerge in a globally driven stage and sector. Director Graziano da Silva assured African Ministers that “ocean programs” could be “transformative forces in the continent”.
“Stakeholders from fishing, shipping, energy generation and tourism, to list a few, require responsive and innovative solutions to turn climate change impacts into opportunities,” Graziano Director of FAO called for multi-level cooperation and participation.
During the Conference African Ministers identified opportunities to enhance Africa's ability to create climate resilient ocean economies.
Leaders of Africa are working guided by the Mauritius Communique which is expected to take further momentum and strength in November 2016 in Marrakesh, Morocco during the 22nd Conference of the Parties COP 22 of the UNFCCC.
The Mauritius Communique signed during the Conference will be used to develop new papers. The “African Ocean Economy and Climate Action Agenda” and the “African Oceans Finance Package” -for the benefit of African coastal and insular countries will be presented during COP 22 and will be the main guidelines towards working on the Sustainable Development Goals SDGS which come to replace the Millennium Goals.
Like all regions of the World Africa is a region of contrasts. While some fisheries in Africa are valued in a millions of dollars and sustain the jobs of millions of people there is another side to it.
The WorldFish -organization working in Africa, Asia and the Pacific to end hunger and poverty and develop economies explains that Africa faces extreme poverty and food and nutrition security challenges.
“Fifty percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day and 30% are undernourished. Fish provides 22% of the total animal-source protein in Sub-Saharan Africa and, in the poorest countries, it accounts for almost 50% of the animal-source protein,” WorldFish explains.
As El Niño fades away this year leaving a drought stricken Horn of Africa and Southern Africa La Niña is settling in. Climate change is poised to continue causing serious impacts. Global issues, industrial and illegal fishing are also affecting the African Oceans. On the other hand millions who depend on traditional fishing as a way of life are being challenged.
In midst of this Crisis -shared equally by the Globe, African leaders and organizations are not only drafting and putting into play programs of recovery and resilience but also working with active programs designed to end of hunger and poverty, increase nutrition health and quality of life and eventually lead to prosperity.
During the Mauritius conference participants identified priority actions for Africa, analysed Coastal Integrity, studied Fisheries and Aquaculture Sectors, took on Renewable Energy stands, dealt with Ports and Shipping, Tourism, Marine Spatial Planning and other numerous aspects which include integral management of Ocean and its resources. Centers of Excellence are expected to be established.
“More must be done to mitigate the impacts of climate change and illegal fishing on oceans and coastal communities,” FAO Director Jose Graziano da Silva signalled during the event.
The international established consensus that values traditional sustainable fisheries and aquaculture programs over industrial massive fishing were highlighted and recognized during the event.
Director Graziano speaking at the Conference warned that “it is the International Community's Goal to build a sustainable Green Economy and a Blue one as well”. FAO pledged and committed to aid and contribute in the work of growing economies addressing the issues of paramount importance.
“Fisheries and aquaculture make a significant contribution to food security and livelihoods of millions of people along the World’s seashores and waterways. While fish production from capture fisheries has stagnated at around 88 to 90 million tonnes over recent years, the demand for fish and fishery products has continued to rise. In all, global ocean economic activity is estimated at $3-5 trillion,” FAO informed during the meeting opening doors of prosperity for development.
African Nations are moving to ocean diversification to expand their production from a strictly land based to a more ocean oriented. They have often rich relationships with the sea but these relationships are becoming less and less predictable due to environmental changes.
The coast of Africa is affected by ocean warming, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, saltwater intrusions, ocean acidification and other impacts. For the Small African Islands climate change has become a real threat and they are literally “fighting for survival”.
Modern Ghana reported on September 13 on this “fight against climate change” which takes place in Madagascar. “We can avoid famine if we take preventive measures,” the media reported gravely.
“For Madagascar, La Niña could have serious consequences, such as increasing the intensity of cyclones and tropical storms thus aggravating the food insecurity of the country’s rural population, whose capacity to face climate shocks is already fragile,” the media warns.
Modern Ghana assures that Madagascar will be hit hard by La Niña along with all the global regions which were hit hard by El Niño, from Africa to Central America´s Dry Corridor, Caribbean Islands, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Scientists assure that above-average rainfall and flooding, alterations of natural weather patterns and natural disasters can spring into action.
Madagascar productive potential has earned it the title of the “next granary of Small Island Development States of the Indian Ocean”:
“However, it is also one of the 20 countries in the World that are most vulnerable to climate change. In Africa it is the fourth most vulnerable country in terms of recurrent cyclones and tropical storms,” Modern Ghana reported.
Madagascar is looking beyond Emergency interventions -which while necessary only provide a short-term immediate solution. The island is focusing on medium term programs and building resilience in rural communities to be able to withstand future shocks, overcome chronic poverty and raise the standards of living.
Blue Ventures -organization working in Madagascar with incredible success and experience explains what their work is all about.
“We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities with a strong focus on marine conservation,” they assure.
“We work in places where the ocean is vital to local cultures and economies, and are committed to protecting marine biodiversity in ways that benefit coastal people. Our story started over a decade ago, surveying coral reefs in the Mozambique channel. Vezo communities in southern Madagascar were concerned about the decline of their fisheries, so we supported one village to experiment with closing off a small section of their octopus gleaning area for a few months, to see whether this might boost productivity…
Since then, this temporary fishery closure model has gone viral along thousands of kilometres of Madagascar’s coastline, spawning a grassroots marine conservation revolution,” Blue Ventures´ story is proof that communities can lead the way in Blue Economies and are in fact in Madagascar already doing so for several years.
Today thanks to the Blue Ventures program more than 64 Locally Managed Marine Areas exist in the Island. 11 % of the Islands Seabed is managed by the communities, for the communities.
Late August this year Blue Ventures went fishing for data. They explain that despite official fisheries reports do not measure in Illegal, unreported and unregulated catches because national reporting systems fail to take them into account.
“Small-scale fisheries” fall within these non-measured catches.
Blue Ventures explains that while it is easy to mistake small-scale fisheries as non profitable nor technological advanced nor commercially empowered as industrial fishing when they group they are big.
“Small-scale fisheries are vitally important, supporting the livelihoods of at least 500 million people worldwide, the majority of which are in developing coastal states such as Madagascar,” they say.
Blue Ventures adds that their information shows that catches of these unmeasured Small Scale Fisheries sector could as much as double the total volume reported by National fisheries agencies.
Working with colleagues at Madagascar’s Ministry of Fisheries and the Sea Around Us project, Blue Ventures’ policy team in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, is supporting Ministerial staff to update the reconstruction to the present day. They are also very enthusiastic in tackling illegal fishing including foreign fishing vessels.
During the African Ministerial Conference FAO reported that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing also puts additional stress on oceans and marine resources, generating costs of billions worldwide in government revenue.
FAO called all Governments to sign the the international Port State Measures Agreement that recently entered into force and aims to counter such fishing approaches.
“Currently, however, only 13 out of 34 small island developing states are party to the agreement, of which nine countries are in Africa,” Director Graziano da Silva added.
From the Ministerial Conference Director of FAO traveled to the Small Island of Seychelles. There he met with top Authorities and discussed agriculture and fisheries programs. From Seychelles the Director called for other Indian Ocean Islands to work together to implement an international treaty aimed at combatting illegal fishing.
Seychelles is among the countries which have already signed and ratified the International Port State Measures Agreement, which came into force in June. It is described as the first ever legally binding international treaty focussing on the issue of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, which FAO says poses a serious threat to the management of fish stocks.
"Seychelles is taking the lead Worldwide on the Blue Economy, putting the Oceans at the centre of the agenda of sustainable development,” FAO Director Da Silva added.
WWF -World Wildlife Fund assures that local fisheries of West Africa generate more than 400 million USD but the depletion of stocks could affect millions of people.
“Nearly 8 million people live along the WAMER coast and in Senegal alone, a country of 12 million, the jobs of over 600,000 men and women depend directly on fishing and fisheries related industries,” WWF ads.
From Mauritius African Ministers called on for inter alia: all relevant stakeholders to consider sustainability and transparency in investment programmes aimed at developing ocean economies, undertake environmental impact assessments and foster the resilience of investments to climate change impacts.
In Egypt -the Northeast corner of Africa WorldFish took on a different approach on the issue. After months of boosting the new Tilapia Farmed Fish program they are now putting the program to the “Taste Test”.
On September 1 local Press reported that “Top Egyptian Chefs Cooked New Dishes of the Most Farmed Fish in the Country!”
The Egyptian Chef´s Organization ECA -with 1000 registered Professional Chefs was called in by Worldfish to work together in a press covered event where 20 of the Top Egyptian Chefs cooked and prepared innovative and inspiring Nile Tilapia farmed fish.
The fish are sourced directly from the Egypt-Worldfish Tilapia Fish Farms under new productions and expanding.
The event was more than just a press show. It was aligned with policies of the Sustainable Transformation of Egypt’s Aquaculture Market System STREAMS project goals, the Consumer Market Research and Product Development policies.
Egypt is the World’s second largest producer of Tilapia. Every week one fish of Tilapia is produced for each one of the 90 million people that live in Egypt.
However, and incredibly, the Tilapia fish is rare in Egyptian restaurants despite being consumed widely in America and Europe.
Worldfish uses local fish and local species for each of their programs. In Egypt the star is the Nile Tilapia fish but the organization explains that the real goal is a “Better Future”.
The use of the oceans in the region has always been a way of life, of culture and heritage but today's World the region is inflicted by Global and local issues -climate change, natural disasters, drought, poverty and hunger and malnutrition and health impacts. However, there is a movement that is looking deep into the oceans for its potential to bring real solutions to serious problems.
On September 2, 2016 African Ministers meeting in Mauritius for a Conference released the Mauritius Communique. Voices of African leaders spoke clearly and in one voice under the new document.
The IISD International Institute for Sustainable Development Press Office present at the Summit -part of a Stop of the Road to COP 22 reported that African Ministers have adopted a new Communique (Agreement) and it is a document designed to build “Climate-Smart Ocean Economies”.
Agreements are not usually reached in Summits and Conferences. Historically Ocean Agreements are even less scarce, so the reaching of the Mauritius Communique is historical.
The Mauritius Communique assures its goal is to sustain the lives of millions of Africans.
"Healthy and productive oceans are critical for combating rural poverty, ensuring food security, improving nutrition and achieving Zero Hunger," the General Director of the Food and Agriculture Office FAO José Graziano da Silva said at the meeting.
The Head of the United National Agricultural Agency spoke about the challenges that are in the way of ocean sustainable development. Climate change, illegal fishing and management were detailed as the main issues to counter. Coastal Community Fisheries and Aquaculture became stars as they emerge in a globally driven stage and sector. Director Graziano da Silva assured African Ministers that “ocean programs” could be “transformative forces in the continent”.
“Stakeholders from fishing, shipping, energy generation and tourism, to list a few, require responsive and innovative solutions to turn climate change impacts into opportunities,” Graziano Director of FAO called for multi-level cooperation and participation.
During the Conference African Ministers identified opportunities to enhance Africa's ability to create climate resilient ocean economies.
Leaders of Africa are working guided by the Mauritius Communique which is expected to take further momentum and strength in November 2016 in Marrakesh, Morocco during the 22nd Conference of the Parties COP 22 of the UNFCCC.
The Mauritius Communique signed during the Conference will be used to develop new papers. The “African Ocean Economy and Climate Action Agenda” and the “African Oceans Finance Package” -for the benefit of African coastal and insular countries will be presented during COP 22 and will be the main guidelines towards working on the Sustainable Development Goals SDGS which come to replace the Millennium Goals.
Like all regions of the World Africa is a region of contrasts. While some fisheries in Africa are valued in a millions of dollars and sustain the jobs of millions of people there is another side to it.
The WorldFish -organization working in Africa, Asia and the Pacific to end hunger and poverty and develop economies explains that Africa faces extreme poverty and food and nutrition security challenges.
“Fifty percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day and 30% are undernourished. Fish provides 22% of the total animal-source protein in Sub-Saharan Africa and, in the poorest countries, it accounts for almost 50% of the animal-source protein,” WorldFish explains.
As El Niño fades away this year leaving a drought stricken Horn of Africa and Southern Africa La Niña is settling in. Climate change is poised to continue causing serious impacts. Global issues, industrial and illegal fishing are also affecting the African Oceans. On the other hand millions who depend on traditional fishing as a way of life are being challenged.
In midst of this Crisis -shared equally by the Globe, African leaders and organizations are not only drafting and putting into play programs of recovery and resilience but also working with active programs designed to end of hunger and poverty, increase nutrition health and quality of life and eventually lead to prosperity.
During the Mauritius conference participants identified priority actions for Africa, analysed Coastal Integrity, studied Fisheries and Aquaculture Sectors, took on Renewable Energy stands, dealt with Ports and Shipping, Tourism, Marine Spatial Planning and other numerous aspects which include integral management of Ocean and its resources. Centers of Excellence are expected to be established.
“More must be done to mitigate the impacts of climate change and illegal fishing on oceans and coastal communities,” FAO Director Jose Graziano da Silva signalled during the event.
The international established consensus that values traditional sustainable fisheries and aquaculture programs over industrial massive fishing were highlighted and recognized during the event.
Director Graziano speaking at the Conference warned that “it is the International Community's Goal to build a sustainable Green Economy and a Blue one as well”. FAO pledged and committed to aid and contribute in the work of growing economies addressing the issues of paramount importance.
“Fisheries and aquaculture make a significant contribution to food security and livelihoods of millions of people along the World’s seashores and waterways. While fish production from capture fisheries has stagnated at around 88 to 90 million tonnes over recent years, the demand for fish and fishery products has continued to rise. In all, global ocean economic activity is estimated at $3-5 trillion,” FAO informed during the meeting opening doors of prosperity for development.
African Nations are moving to ocean diversification to expand their production from a strictly land based to a more ocean oriented. They have often rich relationships with the sea but these relationships are becoming less and less predictable due to environmental changes.
The coast of Africa is affected by ocean warming, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, saltwater intrusions, ocean acidification and other impacts. For the Small African Islands climate change has become a real threat and they are literally “fighting for survival”.
Modern Ghana reported on September 13 on this “fight against climate change” which takes place in Madagascar. “We can avoid famine if we take preventive measures,” the media reported gravely.
“For Madagascar, La Niña could have serious consequences, such as increasing the intensity of cyclones and tropical storms thus aggravating the food insecurity of the country’s rural population, whose capacity to face climate shocks is already fragile,” the media warns.
Modern Ghana assures that Madagascar will be hit hard by La Niña along with all the global regions which were hit hard by El Niño, from Africa to Central America´s Dry Corridor, Caribbean Islands, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Scientists assure that above-average rainfall and flooding, alterations of natural weather patterns and natural disasters can spring into action.
Madagascar productive potential has earned it the title of the “next granary of Small Island Development States of the Indian Ocean”:
“However, it is also one of the 20 countries in the World that are most vulnerable to climate change. In Africa it is the fourth most vulnerable country in terms of recurrent cyclones and tropical storms,” Modern Ghana reported.
Madagascar is looking beyond Emergency interventions -which while necessary only provide a short-term immediate solution. The island is focusing on medium term programs and building resilience in rural communities to be able to withstand future shocks, overcome chronic poverty and raise the standards of living.
Blue Ventures -organization working in Madagascar with incredible success and experience explains what their work is all about.
“We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities with a strong focus on marine conservation,” they assure.
“We work in places where the ocean is vital to local cultures and economies, and are committed to protecting marine biodiversity in ways that benefit coastal people. Our story started over a decade ago, surveying coral reefs in the Mozambique channel. Vezo communities in southern Madagascar were concerned about the decline of their fisheries, so we supported one village to experiment with closing off a small section of their octopus gleaning area for a few months, to see whether this might boost productivity…
Since then, this temporary fishery closure model has gone viral along thousands of kilometres of Madagascar’s coastline, spawning a grassroots marine conservation revolution,” Blue Ventures´ story is proof that communities can lead the way in Blue Economies and are in fact in Madagascar already doing so for several years.
Today thanks to the Blue Ventures program more than 64 Locally Managed Marine Areas exist in the Island. 11 % of the Islands Seabed is managed by the communities, for the communities.
Late August this year Blue Ventures went fishing for data. They explain that despite official fisheries reports do not measure in Illegal, unreported and unregulated catches because national reporting systems fail to take them into account.
“Small-scale fisheries” fall within these non-measured catches.
Blue Ventures explains that while it is easy to mistake small-scale fisheries as non profitable nor technological advanced nor commercially empowered as industrial fishing when they group they are big.
“Small-scale fisheries are vitally important, supporting the livelihoods of at least 500 million people worldwide, the majority of which are in developing coastal states such as Madagascar,” they say.
Blue Ventures adds that their information shows that catches of these unmeasured Small Scale Fisheries sector could as much as double the total volume reported by National fisheries agencies.
Working with colleagues at Madagascar’s Ministry of Fisheries and the Sea Around Us project, Blue Ventures’ policy team in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, is supporting Ministerial staff to update the reconstruction to the present day. They are also very enthusiastic in tackling illegal fishing including foreign fishing vessels.
During the African Ministerial Conference FAO reported that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing also puts additional stress on oceans and marine resources, generating costs of billions worldwide in government revenue.
FAO called all Governments to sign the the international Port State Measures Agreement that recently entered into force and aims to counter such fishing approaches.
“Currently, however, only 13 out of 34 small island developing states are party to the agreement, of which nine countries are in Africa,” Director Graziano da Silva added.
From the Ministerial Conference Director of FAO traveled to the Small Island of Seychelles. There he met with top Authorities and discussed agriculture and fisheries programs. From Seychelles the Director called for other Indian Ocean Islands to work together to implement an international treaty aimed at combatting illegal fishing.
Seychelles is among the countries which have already signed and ratified the International Port State Measures Agreement, which came into force in June. It is described as the first ever legally binding international treaty focussing on the issue of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, which FAO says poses a serious threat to the management of fish stocks.
"Seychelles is taking the lead Worldwide on the Blue Economy, putting the Oceans at the centre of the agenda of sustainable development,” FAO Director Da Silva added.
WWF -World Wildlife Fund assures that local fisheries of West Africa generate more than 400 million USD but the depletion of stocks could affect millions of people.
“Nearly 8 million people live along the WAMER coast and in Senegal alone, a country of 12 million, the jobs of over 600,000 men and women depend directly on fishing and fisheries related industries,” WWF ads.
From Mauritius African Ministers called on for inter alia: all relevant stakeholders to consider sustainability and transparency in investment programmes aimed at developing ocean economies, undertake environmental impact assessments and foster the resilience of investments to climate change impacts.
In Egypt -the Northeast corner of Africa WorldFish took on a different approach on the issue. After months of boosting the new Tilapia Farmed Fish program they are now putting the program to the “Taste Test”.
On September 1 local Press reported that “Top Egyptian Chefs Cooked New Dishes of the Most Farmed Fish in the Country!”
The Egyptian Chef´s Organization ECA -with 1000 registered Professional Chefs was called in by Worldfish to work together in a press covered event where 20 of the Top Egyptian Chefs cooked and prepared innovative and inspiring Nile Tilapia farmed fish.
The fish are sourced directly from the Egypt-Worldfish Tilapia Fish Farms under new productions and expanding.
The event was more than just a press show. It was aligned with policies of the Sustainable Transformation of Egypt’s Aquaculture Market System STREAMS project goals, the Consumer Market Research and Product Development policies.
Egypt is the World’s second largest producer of Tilapia. Every week one fish of Tilapia is produced for each one of the 90 million people that live in Egypt.
However, and incredibly, the Tilapia fish is rare in Egyptian restaurants despite being consumed widely in America and Europe.
Worldfish uses local fish and local species for each of their programs. In Egypt the star is the Nile Tilapia fish but the organization explains that the real goal is a “Better Future”.
