Fourteenth Edition
June, 2006
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ANGOLA - BENIN - CAMEROON - CONGO - CÔTE D'IVOIRE - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - GABON - GHANA - GUINEA - GUINEA BISSAU - LIBERIA - NIGERIA - SAO TOME & PRINCIPE - SIERRA LEONE - TOGO
Following the dissolution of the Ministry of Environment and
Courtesy Visit of the Regional Director to the Minister of Local
Science, the Environment portfolio was added to the Ministry of
Government, Rural Development and Environment, 20 June, 2006.
Local Government and Rural Development and a new Minister
was appointed for the now Ministry of Local Government, Rural
Hon. Asamoah
Development and Environment.
B o a t e n g
welcoming the
The Regional Director paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed
R e g i o n a l
Minister, Hon. Stephen Asamoah Boateng (MP). The purpose of
Director to his
the visit was to brief the new Minister on the activities of the
office.
GCLME Project which now fall under the supervision of the new
Ministry. He congratulated the Minister on his appointment and
confirmation by Parliament as Minister for the newly created Min-
istry of Local Governments, Rural Development and Environ-
ment, Ghana.
While briefing the Minister, the Regional Director indicated the
linkage of Local Government to the implementation of the project
at the grassroots and presented electronic copies of GCLME Project
Document, reports of the first and second Steering Committee
Meetings and the First Tripartite and Review Meeting which was
officially opened by the Minister. Also included in the documents
The Minister and
presented were all the 14 editions of the GCLME project News-
the Regional
letters, reports from the first phase of the project and the report on
Director in full
GOG-LME as well as the Ministerial Meeting held in 1998, in
d i s s e m i n a t i o n
Accra.
during the visit.
The Regional Director informed the Minister of the forth-coming
Ministerial Meeting of the project tantativelyscheduled in Abuja
from 21 - 22 September, 2006. The Meeting will endorse the for-
mation of the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Commis-
sion. He explained that the Ministerial Meeting will be preceded
by a Technical Meeting of Directors of Fisheries and Environment
from 19 - 20 September, 2006. He updated the Minister on the
achievements of the project in Ghana which include the setting up
of the Regional Marine Productivity Centre withstate of the art
equipment at the University of Ghana, Legon.
In response to the briefings, Hon. Boateng stressed the importance
of the Project to both Ghana and the region. He promised to brief
The Hon.
M i n i s t e r
his Deputy Ministers so they can represent him fully whenever he
appreciating
is not available. He pledged his support and availability to the
some of the
project at all times and also posited that the activities of the GCLME
products of the
project would justify the merging of the Environment portfolio
Project.
with that of the Local Government. He accepted the responsibil-
ity of his new role and promised to perform his duties with the
support of the Regional Director, the RCU and his Technical Team
at the Ministry and promised to continue to honour the obliga-
tions of his Ministry to the RCU on behalf of the Government of
Ghana.
C o p y r i g h t , G C L M E , 2 0 0 6
v. & Sc
ence, Hon.
G C L M E N e w s l e t t e r Page 2
Fourteenth Edition June, 2006
11th Meeting of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) which was held in Brazaville,
Congo: 22 - 26 May, 2006.
From 25 - 26, the Regional Director represented the Director General of
Based on the presentation of the Regional Director, the Meeting
UNIDO, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella at the 11th Meeting of the African Ministerial
recommended for the actions to be be undertaken by the Regional
Conference on the Environment(AMCEN) which was held in Brazaville,
Director:
Congo.
- To follow up on prospective contacts made with different - del-
Personalities that attended the Conference included Ministers of Environ-
egations during the meeting.
ment and Heads of Government Delegations, The AU Commissioner (Rural
- To liaise with the UNIDO Representative in Nigeria in respect
Economy & Agriculture), Ag. Executive Director of UNEP, Chief Executive
of the expected meeting between the DG and the Nigerian Min-
of GEF, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, Heads of Delegations of
ister of Environment during the DG's visit to Abuja this June.
NEPAD,UN AND Non-UN Agencies including NGOs and GCLME National
Directors.
- To draft a letter with the Project Manager for the signature of
the DG acknowledging Decision 2 of the AMCEN BRAZAVILLE
The Regional Director made a presentation in plenary entitled, "AMCEN
DECLARATION and expressing the readiness of UNIDO to
AND NEPAD ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN- A VIEW FROM
strengthen its collaboration with AMCEN. The draft letter will
UNIDO" during which he conveyed the fraternal greetings of the UNIDO
also contain an invitation to the new AMCEN Chair to visit Vienna
DG and his determination for a reinforced collaboration between UNIDO
for talks with the DG.
and AMCEN.
- Together with the Project Manager, to stay in touch with the
Together with the Nigerian Minister of Environment, he lobbied the Minis-
GCLME Ministers in the run up to the First Ministerial Meeting
ters and delegations from the GCLME countries in respect of their participa-
of the GCLME project whenever the dates are fixed to ensure
tion in the proposed first meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Environ-
their promised participation.
ment and Fisheries to be hosted by Nigeria in Abuja. He stressed the impor-
tance of the meeting as it will endorse the expected transformation of the
A Fish Trawl campaign using the research vessel, Dr. Fridtjof Nansen
Project into a 16 country technical interim Guinea Current Commission.
to survey the fishery resources in the Gulf of Guinea kicked off in
R-L: The Regional Director in a discussion with the GCLME National Director for DR Congo, Mr. Leonard MUAMBA-KANDA
who assisted the Regional Director at the AMCEN Meeting.
C o p y r i g h t , G C L M E , 2 0 0 6
G C L M E N e w s l e t t e r Page 3
Fourteenth Edition June, 2006
Report on the 1st to 3rd leg of the Fish
Pre-Survey Meeting of the second leg of fish Trawl Campaign held on the
Trawl Survey using the RV Dr. Fridtjof
research vessel, Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, 19 May 2006.
Nansen Research Vessel.
L-R: Paul
April, 2006. The survey was in three phases.
Bannerman, Co-
Cruise Leader, Mr.
The first leg was for the period 20 April - 17
Samuel Quaatey,
May 2006 and covered the waters of Guinea
Cruise Coordinator,
Bissau, Guinea, Sierra leone and Liberia. The
Sigborn Mehl, Cruise
second leg was for the period 19 May - 7 June
Leader discussing
2006 and covered the waters of Cote d'Ivoire,
survey plan with
Ghana, Benin and Togo while the third leg which
scientists, Ms. Amelie
started from 9 June 2006 will end on 20 July
Gbaguidi, Scientist
from Benin, Dr.
2006 c overing the waters of Nigeria,
Theodore Djama,
Cameroon, Sao Tome & Principe, Gabon and
GCLME Fisheries
Congo.
Expert.
The objectives of the survey were as follows:
- To carry out an assessment of demersal and
pelagic fishery resources off the western
L-R: Dr. Theodore
Gulf of Guinea through a combined bottom
Djama, Ms. A.
trawl and acoustic survey; and,
Gbaguidi, Dr.
George Wiafe -
- To collect samples of Stomach, Benthos,
GCLME Plankton
Plankton and Oceanographic data
C o n s u l t a n t
e x p l a i n i n g
Plankton sampling
Each survey was preceded by a pre-survey
procedure, Vaovi
meeting. The pre-survey meeting of the sec-
A c a k p o - A d d r a
ond leg was held on board the research vessel,
from Togo, Koffi
Dr. Fridtjof Nansen on 19 May 2006 prior to
Dongo Kouassi
from Cote d'Ivoire,
the departure of the cruise which was made up
Paul Bannerman &
of experts from the the four concerned coun-
Mr. S. Quaatey.
tries, the Norwegian Cruise Leader, Mr.
Sigborn Mehl, Coordiantor of the Cruise, Mr.
Samuel Quaatey, the GCLME Plankton Con-
sultant, Dr. George Wiafe and the GCLME
Fisheries Expert, Dr. Theodore Djama.
The group deliberated on issues like: Sampling
Station Maps, Format For Presentation of Data
Collected During the survey, Fish Trawl
Transects, Stomach Content Samples, Zoop-
lankton Sampling and Plankton Sampling Sta-
tions.
The GCLME Fisheries Expert reiterated the
importance of the survey and the need for the
experts to strive to collect good data and infor-
mation necessary for the assessment of the fish-
ery resources. The Co-Cruise Leader reas-
sured all of reliability of his team which has
been working together in the sub-region with
Group photograph of the scientific crew
Dr. Fridtjof Nansen since 1999.
C o p y r i g h t , G C L M E , 2 0 0 6
G C L M E N e w s l e t t e r Page 4
Thirteenth Edition April, 2006
G C L M E N e w s l e t t e r Page 4
Fourteenth Edition June, 2006
Launching of the third leg of the GCLME/FAO/IMR Cruise, Douala,
From 1 to 7 June, 2006, Dr. Theodore Djama,
Cameroon; 24 June, 2006.
GCLME Fisheries Expert was on mission to Equa-
torial Guinea to meet with the National Authori-
ties (Minister of Fisheries and Environment) to
obtain authorization for the survey cruise on board
the RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen to operate in the
Equato-Guinean waters.
On a different mission to Douala, Cameroon, Dr.
Djama reported that the launching of the third
leg of the GCLME/FAO IMR Cruise on 24 June
2006 by the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and
Animal Industries was successful.
From 25 to 29 June, 2006, the Regional Director
was on mission to Abuja, Nigeria to assist in the
planned meeting between the Director General
HE Dr. Aboubakar, Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries climbing the
of UNIDO, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella for the purpose
stairs of the RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen.
of discussing the First meeting of Ministers re-
sponsible for the GCLME project scheduled to
take place from 21-22 September, 2006 in Abuja,
Nigeria.
Kelechi Ihemeje
R-L: The FAO Representative, the Governor of the Littoral Province and an
Inspector of MINEPIA.
Visit of the RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen by the Minister, HE Dr. Aboubakar.
C o p y r i g h t , G C L M E , 2 0 0 6 Layout by J o s h u a O k e c h u k u N d u b u i s i, ICT Specialist