Technical Dialogue on Ocean Accounts -

in cooperation with the Information Management Strategy (IMS) Multi-Stakeholder Working Group (MSWG) among Key Stakeholders and the ROGS Task Force - 14 March 2023

Ocean accounts are a crucial tool for understanding the state of our oceans and making informed decisions about their management and conservation. By tracking key indicators such as water quality, fish stocks, and ecosystem health, ocean accounts provide a comprehensive picture of the current state of our marine environments. This information is essential for policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders to develop effective strategies to protect and restore our oceans, which are facing increasing pressures from climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

Together with the IMS MSWG, we intend to explore the importance of ocean accounts and how they can be used to inform ocean governance decision-making. We will have an impulse talk by Prof. Ken Findlay on the importance of ocean accounts systems in marine management, including relevant information needs. This will be followed by in-depth discussions on the technical and data-sharing implications in setting-up such complex systems. The ROGS Task Force and other key stakeholders will then have a focused opportunity to discuss governance challenges related to information management and to generate strategic ideas for how these can be jointly tackled in the Western Indian Ocean.