May, 2007
Edition
h t t p : / / w w w . g c l m e . o r go r g
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
05 May, 2007 ..... A GEM Departs
Tribute to the Memory of
Ms. Catherine Isebor
B y
E x e c u t i v e S e c r e t a r y a n d S t a f f
o f T h e E x e c u t i v e S e c r e t a r i a t, I G C C
Catherine in a discussion with colleague
"Death is a necessary end. It will come when it will come ...."
scientists during a GCLME Regional Workshop
Shakespeare in Julius Caesar
Coordination/implementation of sub regional
fisheries survey for the Guinea Current Large Marine
he morning of May 07, 2007
T
Ecosystem Project;
seemed like a normal day at the
Executive Secretariat of the
Cruise coordinator and team leader for the fish trawl
IGCC until the devastating
survey of the GCLME on board MV Fridtjof Nansen
news of Ms. Catherine Isebor's
cruise of 2004, 2005 and 2006.
transition was broken to us. It
Member of Presidential Committee on Fisheries and
appeared the whole world had
Aquaculture Development in Nigeria.
come to a stand still. The news
soon spread like wild fire to all
Ms. Isebor has authored and co-authored over 27 publications.
Late Catherine Isebor
16 countries of the IGCC and
messages of condolence began
to fill our mail boxes.
The Executive Secretary and staff of the IGCC found it
difficult to come to terms with the sudden demise of a
Gem in the Fisheries sector.
Ms. Catherine Isebor worked as a Research Scientist at
the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine
Research and rose to the rank of Chief Research Officer
having specialized in the area of coastal and marine ecology
and Fisheries of the Nigerian and other coastal waters in
West and Central Africa.
Ms. Isebor's (right) last appearance at a Workshop at the
IGCC Executive Secretariat. To her right, Ms. Foluke Areola.
Among her achievements are:
Behind is Ms Akwaugo Amadi.
The conduct and evaluation of fish stocks in Nigerian
The last time Catherine visited the Executive Secretariat
waters and the Gulf of Guinea;
was in February when she participated in the Biodiversity
Workshop of 26 February-02 March, 2007.

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I G C C N e w s l e t t e r Page 2
May, 2007
At the workshop she demonstrated her usual
commitment and deployed her knowledge and
Highlights of the 1st Leg of the 2007
experience in fisheries as usual to the success of the
GCLME / FAO Survey in the
workshop.
Guinea Current Region
She was as usual the smiling, friendly sister that we all
cherished.
4 - 31 May, 2007
But little did we know that was the last time we were
going to see our dear sister and friend.
One of the long-term developmental goals of the GCLME
project is to ensure recovery and sustainability of depleted
fishery and marine living resources in the region. To achieve
this goal, regional fishery resource surveys have been
planned. The main aim of the surveys is to collect the
necessary information for formulating management
strategies for sustainable exploitation of the fishery
resources. It is in light of this that the GCLME in
collaboration with the FAO and IMR has since 2004 been
executing fishery research surveys in the Gulf of Guinea
using the research vessel, Fridtjof Nansen.
Catherine and her colleague scientist during laboratory work,
analyzing stomach contents in the Regional Fisheries Centre,
Luanda, Angola
She joined her colleague fisheries Experts from Angola,
Ghana, Sao Tome et Principe and Sierra Leone in Angola
from 26th - 30th March, to analyze stomach contents of
samples from the 2006 Fisheries Resources Survey.
The vacuum that the absence of Catherine has created will
The RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen arriving in Tema port
be difficult to fill, but we find solace in the fact that she has
after the first leg
left her footprints in the sands of time.
Her untimely departure should encourage and motivate us
Commencement of 2007 Fishery Survey
to work hardest each day as she did. It should remind us of
our own inevitable destiny and to perform our allotted task
The 2007 GCLME/FAO Survey in the Gulf of Guinea was
while it is still "day" for the "night" comes when no one can
planned in 3 Legs. The 1st Leg was executed between 5th
work.
and 29th May 2007 and covered the waters of Guinea Bissau,
Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In line with the capacity
Catherine will be greatly missed by the Executive
building programme of the GCLME, 2 scientists each from
Secretary, Staff of IGCC and the entire IGCC Community.
the afore-mentioned countries participated in the survey.
In addition plankton and benthos experts from the region
also participated in the survey. All the participants from
Rest In Perfect Peace Catherine ! ! !
the region embarked the vessel on 4th May 2007 at Bissau
Port and the survey commenced from Guinea Bissau on
5th May 2007.
C o p y r i g h t , I G C C , 2 0 0 7

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I G C C N e w s l e t t e r Page 3
May, 2007
Pre-Survey Meeting
The Cruise Leader for the survey was Sigborn Mehl of
Norway. Mr. Ibrahim Turary of Sierra Leone was appointed
the Co-Cruise Leader on 20th April 2007 and was provided
with the sampling protocol for benthos, plankton and
stomach content. A pre-survey meeting held between the
regional scientists and the Norwegian scientists discussed
sampling protocols and survey objectives.
The Survey Objectives were:
Part of the team disembarking at Tema from the
*
To map the distribution and estimate the acoustic
first leg of the survey.
abundance of the pelagic species/groups.
Benthos
*
To describe the distribution, composition and
estimate the abundance of the main demersal
Benthos transects were 50 NM apart and sampling were done
species/groups on the continental shelf by the
at 30, 50 and 100 m depths using the Grab and sampling done
swept-area method.
mainly during night time.
*
To collect stomach content samples of commercial
Summary of Data Collected
important fish species to increase knowledge on
During the survey, 127 bottom-trawl hauls, 19 pelagic-trawl
their trophic interactions through food and feeding
hauls; 34 benthic grabs; 31 plankton hauls and 126 CDT casts
habits.
were made. The fish trawl and CDT data were entered into
*
To collect bottom sediments samples to map the
the computer and analysed onboard. The plankton and benthos
benthic biodiversity in the region.
data were offloaded at Tema for analysis at the Regional
Productivity Centre, University of Ghana, Legon.
*
To collect plankton samples for distribution and
abundance estimation of the productivity of the
End of Survey
marine environment of the GCLME.
The survey work ended on 29th May 2007 off the Liberia -
*
To map the general hydrographic regime by using
Cote d'Ivoire border and the vessel berthed at Tema Port on
a CTD-sonde to monitor the temperature, salinity
31st May 2007.
and oxygen.
Post- Survey Meeting
*
To offer on the job training for regional scientists
A post survey meeting was held between the scientific crew
and the Coordinator of the 2007 Survey on board the vessel
on 1st June 2007.
Sampling Protocol
Fisheries
The fish trawl transects were 20 NM (nautical mile) apart
and on each transect were stations at 20 -30 m, 31 - 50 m
and 51 - 100 m depths. Bottom trawl surveys were carried-
out during daytime while pelagic trawls were carried-out
at night time.
Plankton
Plankton transects were 50 NM apart and sampling were
done at 30 m and 50 m depths with the 1 meter diameter
Debriefing session after the first leg of the cruise. At
ICITA net in step oblique hauls and Hydrobios Multi-net
the extreme right is the Co-ordinator of the Cruise,
plankton sampler. Plankton sampling was done during
Mr. Samuel Quaatey. On his right are Mr. Napoleon
daytime.
Gbolonyo, Administrative Officer, IGCC and Mr.
Ibrahim Turay, First Leg Co-leader.
C o p y r i g h t , I G C C , 2 0 0 7

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I G C C N e w s l e t t e r Page 4
May, 2007
A Short Tribute to Catherine Isebor
I met Catherine about two years ago when I had the opportunity to
accompany my Minister, Hon. Mrs. Gladys Asmah to the opening of a
long research in Guinea Current Region by the Fridtjof Nansen team.
Catherine, a Principal Research Fellow of the Nigerian Institute for
Oceanography & Marine Research, was then a Co-Cruise Leader for
the GCLMEIFAO on the Nansen's Surveys.
She struck me to be a hard working fellow who despite the difficulties
the job offered daily, always carried herself about coolly and took things
easy as they came. On board the Fridtjof Nansen I felt the chill that
wet Saturday morning on the final day of the research team. I asked
Catherine how she could cope with the unfriendly non-African weather.
She smiled one of those captivating reassuring smiles, I noted to be her
trademark, and said conditions could be worse at times since to preserve
fuel the European crew who were used to cold weather never switched
L-R : Hon. Daniel Dugan, Late Catherine and Prof.
Chidi Ibe on board the Fridtjof Nansen in 2005.
on the heating system. She assured me that it was okay with her since
she was used to those conditions.
This was an example of a dedicated, hardworking African woman noted for sacrificing comfort to achieve the best for the
community.
My wife Georgette whom Catherine struck off a good relationship with at a cocktail on the grounds of the Interim Guinea
Current Commission, is at the moment in a state of shock after she heard of Catherine's death.
My wife and I have indeed lost a friend whom we were hoping the opportunity would come for us to visit each other's home
in our sister countries.
My wife and I mourn the loss of a dear sister and friend and the pain of seeing this wonderful woman go is too much to bear.
We both share the pain of this loss with the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography & Marine Research; we share the pain with
the Fridtjof Nansen team.
We share the pain with the Interim Guinea Current Commission; we share the pain with our dear brother and friend, Prof.
Chidi Ibe.
We share the pain with Catherine's family and friends and with the good people of Nigeria.
Not only have Nigeria lost a good woman but indeed Ghana as well and I may not be wrong if I say that the whole of Africa
has lost a female role model who offered her services for the well being of the entire continent.
May the Good Lord who gave Catherine to Africa and saw it fit to take her back grant her eternal rest in His Heavenly
Kingdom.
·
Upcoming Events
June 25 -29 : High Level Meeting for the Finalization
and Adoption of the LBA Protocol for the Abidjan
Convention and the Strategic Action Programme (SAP)
, in Accra, Ghana
·
June 15-23: Executive Secretary/Regional
Director, Prof. Chidi Ibe will accompany Hon.
·
The Environment Expert, Dr. Jacques Abé will represent
Asamoah-Boateng, Minister for Local Govt.,
the GCLME, at the Forum of LME projects and the
Rural Devt. And Environment, Ghana, To
bureaux of the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions for
Vienna, Austria, on project-related visit to
preparation of COP in South Africa, 30 June to 04 July,
UNIDO Director-General.
2007.
Edited by : N a p o l e o n G b o l o n y o Layout by : J o s h u a O k e c h u k u N d u b u i s i, IT Specialist

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