Welcome, Nairobi Convention Member States, partners, and friends, to this installment of the Weekly News Round-up! Please keep reading to find out what’s new in efforts to protect, conserve and develop the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.
We look forward to continuing our work with you to create a prosperous WIO region with healthy rivers, coasts, and oceans.
News:
Aligning Marine Spatial Conservation Priorities with Functional Connectivity Across Maritime Jurisdictions
Globally, maritime boundaries on oceans form the basis of governance and management of natural resources, yet the fish, and other marine resources neither conform nor confine to these artificial boundaries. As goods and services from marine life continue to retrogress under the intense human exploitation and changing global environment, resilience could be supported through establishment of a functionally connected network of marine reserves across maritime jurisdictions.
While the establishment of protected areas within the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) is expanding, mechanisms that would allow governments to conserve marine areas beyond national jurisdictions are currently inadequate. Consequently, implementing marine reserves is largely confined within territorial waters, high connectivity among contiguous maritime zones notwithstanding. As the global focus shifts toward achieving sustainable development goals for the oceans, there is a need for region‐specific approaches to area‐based biodiversity conservation that extends the scope of protection to areas in the high seas beyond the EEZ. Using simulations of functional connectivity and seafloor geomorphology, we present and apply in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region a contextual approach to regional marine conservation planning to inform a more effective regional marine conservation across maritime zones………read more
When Oceans Rise, the Result is Death and Destruction
From afar, it’s all blue and beautiful. A magnificent sight. Its waters crashing against the rocks. When you stand on the shores and gaze over the ocean, there is a calmness that takes over; an almost therapeutic effect. How then can this same ocean cause people pain? It’s hard to imagine that this very ocean is causing residents sleepless nights.
A natural barrier that used to separate the ocean and the river has been destroyed by the strong tides, allowing ocean water into the channel…..read more
How Sea Cucumbers are boosting the Bioeconomy in Zanzibar
Seaweed is a precious product for the 25 000 Zanzibari farmers that depend on it, 80 percent of whom are women. But climate change is causing a rise in temperatures, taking a toll on our oceans. Warmer waters represent a real threat to seaweed production, inhibiting its growth and making it susceptible to bacteria. The seaweed these female farmers collect mostly for export is no longer flourishing………read more
UNDP Launches Ocean Innovation Challenge
The momentum on ocean protection and restoration has rapidly accelerated particularly since the 2017 Ocean Conference. However, a number of the Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water targets still lag behind. Between overfishing, pollution, habitat loss and the multiple impacts of climate change on ocean ecosystems, the ocean has never faced such a diverse range of threats. UNDP has launched a new call to action — Ocean Innovation Challenge (OIC) to accelerate progress on SDG 14 targets. The OIC seeks innovations that are transferable, replicable and scalable. The Challenge grants range from $50,000 to $250,000…………..read more
