Nairobi Convention Marine and Coastal News Round-up – 21 Mar 2022

Welcome, Nairobi Convention Member States, partners, and friends, to this issue of the Weekly News Round-up!

Do you have any events, research, or scientific publications on the Western Indian Ocean that you would like to be included in the round-up? Write to [email protected]!

Tapping digital tools in drive for sustainable blue economy driver

Stakeholders are betting on technology in efforts to enhance the blue economy, noting that the world should tap into tech-savvy youth for solutions to further build the sector. Jacqueline Uku of WIOMSA said that innovation in aquaculture could prove critical in saving marine life and boosting the livelihoods of communities living near oceans, seas, lakes and rivers.

Women from coastal communities benefit from training programme on Native Oyster Aquaculture

A training programme whose aim is to empower women of the coastal communities through the native oyster aquaculture was launched in Mauritius. 15 women from coastal communities in Grand Gaube and Poste de Flacq are participating. Aquaculture is one of the most promising sectors of their economy and seafood demand is increasing due to growing population and awareness of health benefits.

Q&A with Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy on small-scale fishing

Traditional fishers scattered in isolated communities along Madagascar’s 4,800-kilometer (3,000-mile) coastline are grappling with falling fish stocks and competition from industrial trawlers, mostly owned by foreigners. Read about VatosoaRakotondrazafy’s passion in marine conservation and advocating for small-scale fishers’ rights.

Connectivity between seamounts and coastal ecosystems in the Southwestern Indian Ocean

Understanding larval connectivity patterns is critical for marine spatial planning, particularly for designing marine protected areas and managing fisheries. This publication assesses model-based connectivity patterns between seamounts of the Southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) and the coastal ecosystems of Mauritius, La Reunion, Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa.

Request for proposals – IUCN LEAP Project

IUCN is seeking an independent consultant or team to lead the mid-term review of the “Locally Managed Marine Areas: Enhancing coastal and marine socio-ecological resilience and biodiversity conservation in the Western Indian Ocean” project. The role may be based anywhere within the Eastern and Southern Africa region, though may also be based outside the region.

Public nominations open for UNEP’s Champions of the Earth Award 2022

UNEP launched a call for nominations for its annual Champions of the Earth award – the UN’s highest environmental honour – to recognize outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector for their transformative impact on the environment. This call encourages the nomination of people and organisations who have contributed to preventing, halting and reversing the degradation of ecosystems worldwide.

Upwelling and the influx of freshwater increase fisheries productivity

Wildfire magnitude and frequency have greatly escalated on a global scale. Wildfire products rich in biogenic elements can enter the ocean through atmospheric and river inputs, but their contribution to marine phytoplankton production is poorly understood. This study suggests that the role of additional nutrients from wildfires has to be considered when projecting impacts of global warming on marine phytoplankton production.

Watch Video >>

Wildfires enhance phytoplankton production in tropical oceans

Scientists from ten institutions collaborated in the Productivity in the East African Coastal Current under Climate Change (PEACC) study. The objective was to investigate the responses of biological productivity and fisheries to changes in atmospheric and oceanographic conditions in the upwelling region associated with the East African Coastal Current, with a focus on two case study sites: Tanzania’s Pemba Channel and Kenya’s North Kenya Bank.

Want to learn more about issues critical to ocean protection? Miss any of our recent virtual webinars and publications?

Visit YouTube Channel