Planning and management
The Republic of Mauritius consists of the main island of Mauritius and several outlying islands namely, Rodrigues, Agalega, St. Brandon, Tromelin and Chagos Archipelago. The total land area of Mauritius is 2040 km2 the while the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is about 2 million km2. Mauritius has at different periods been a colony of the Dutch, French and British. Effective Dutch Colonisation of the island started in 1598 and ended in 1710.
Mozambique is located in the South-Eastern part of the African Continent, between latitudes 10°27’S and 26°52’S and longitudes 30º 12’E and 40º 51’E. The country has a total surface area of 784,032 km2 subdivided into 10 provinces. The country possesses the third longest coastline in the Indian Ocean covering a total distance of 2700 km. Total continental shelf area is about 104,300 km2 . The current population is slightly more than 20 million people with a growth rate of 2.5% per annum.
The Marine Ecosystem Diagnostic Analysis (MEDA) for Seychelles presents an analysis of the status of the coastal and marine resources. It identifies the status of the biophysical and human environment including challenges in the management of the coastal and marine environment. The Seychelles archipelago is made up of 115 islands which are located between latitudes 4–11°S and 45–56°E.
The Republic of Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa, covers a total surface area of 637,657 km2 with an estimated population of 10 million people from six (6) major clans and various minor clans. The country has been without a central Government since 1991. Years of political instability and war have resulted in over 1 million deaths, both as a direct result of the fighting and due to the country’s inability to cope with recurrent droughts, devastating floods and diseases.
Many marine reef fish species have two distinct life stages: a larval pelagic stage lasting a few weeks followed by a benthic stage after recruitment (Dufour, 1992; Shima, 2001; McCormick et al., 2002; Lecchini & Galzin, 2003; Irisson et al., 2004). Larvae dispersal is a vital process for species evolution, genetic mixing and overall adaptation of reef fish populations (Caley et al., 1996; Shulman, 1998; Planes, 2002).
South Africa has an extensive coastline in the southern section of Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystem (ASCLME) region, with the coastal provinces of KwaZulu Natal (KZN), Eastern Cape and Western Cape forming the seaboard. The southeast coastline is remarkably linear, with a narrow continental shelf descending to an abyss (deeper than 4,500 m) in the southern Transkei Basin.
Tanzania is located on the East coast of Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, and lies between Kenya to the north and Mozambique to the south. Its total area is 945,087 km2 and this includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba and Zanzibar. Water covers 59,050 km2 of this area and the coastline along the Indian Ocean is 1,424 km. The population of the country is 40 million with a growth rate of 2.6%. The economy is largely dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 48% of the GDP.
In view of the major discoveries oil and gas in the WIO region and the potential social and economic impacts on the economies of the countries on one hand and negative environmental impacts on the other hand it is prudent that adequate governance mechanisms are put in place.
The recent findings of oil and gas in the South Western Indian Ocean (SWIO) region are resulting in a new and unexpected economic dynamic in this part of the Africa continent. Although not a totally new feature, sporadic exploration having taken place for several decades, the recent developments have been made possible by advances in drilling technology and made more urgent by rising oil prices and problems of accessing traditional sources of supply due to current conflicts in the Middle East.
This Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) has been developed jointly by the ASCLME and SWIOF Projects in 2012 and is the regional synthesis report on the current status of the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems. It presents an analysis of the ecosystem status and the threats to the long term sustainability of coastal and marine processes and resources in the region.
