ANNEX 6
FINAL DRAFT
STRATEGIC ACTION PROGRAMME
Integrated Management, Sustainable Development
and Protection of the Benguela Current Large
Marine Ecosystem (BCLME)
UNDP Windhoek, Namibia 1st November 1999
This Strategic Action Programme was adopted and signed by
the Ministers of the respective countries:
On behalf of the Republic of Angola:
Minister of Fisheries and Environment
................................................... Date:....................
Minister of Petroleum
................................................... Date:....................
Minister of Energy and Mines
................................................... Date:.....................
On behalf of the Republic of Namibia:
Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources
........................................................ Date:...............
Minister of Environment and Tourism
........................................................ Date:...............
Minister of Mines and Energy
............................................................ Date:...............
On behalf of the Republic of South Africa
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
.............................................................Date: ............
Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs
.............................................................Date:...............
Desiring to manage development and protect the Benguela Current Large Marine
Ecosystem in an integrated and sustainable manner,
The Governments of:
The Republic of Angola
The Republic of Namibia
The Republic of South Africa
Continuing in the spirit of the United Nations Declaration on Environment and Development
(Rio Declaration) and Agenda 21;
Appreciating the progress that has been made towards sustainable development and
environmental protection of the Benguela Current ecosystem through, inter alia, the actions taken
by the Sector Co-ordinating Unit for Marine Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) and the Benguela Environment Fisheries Interaction
and Training Programme (BENEFIT);
Welcoming the international support to regional initiatives such as BENEFIT and the efforts
undertaken to sustainably manage and protect the living resources of the region through the
development of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) programme;
Recognising the unique character of the BCLME with the many transboundary fisheries and
environmental issues facing it and their potential global importance in relation to climate change;
Welcoming also the national initiatives taken to ratify or accede to international conventions to
manage the living resources sustainably and to protect the environment of the Benguela Current
ecosystem, including the work undertaken towards the adoption of MARPOL 73/78 and the
London Convention in relation to marine pollution, the United Nations Agreement on Straddling
and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing , the
Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions on the Protection and Development of the Marine
and Coastal Environment and Oil Spill Response around Africa, the Cape Town Declaration
(ACOPS-UNEP), the Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine
Environment from Land-based Activities , the Basle Convention on the Transport of Hazardous
Materials as well as other Conventions in the Benguela Current such as the developing South East
Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO) and the Zone of Peace and Co-operation in the South
Atlantic (ZOPCSA);
Conscious of the importance of the initiatives taken by non-governmental organisations towards
conservation of living marine resources and protection of the environment of the BCLME;
Nevertheless concerned about the fragmented nature of regional management and the urgent
need to strengthen and jointly engage member states in the co-ordination and conservation of the
resources of the Benguela Current as an integrated ecosystem;
Convinced of the pressing need to take further concrete actions individually and collectively, at
national and regional levels, to ensure transboundary co-operation and the integrated sustainable
management and the protection of the living resources of the BCLME;
Committed to capacity strengthening for sustainable development at national and regional levels;
Acknowledging the significant contribution made through the results of the Transboundary
Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) process in the development of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP)
and towards integrating the information necessary for policy planning in the BCLME;
Commit themselves to establish the BCLME Programme and to agree on the following
principles, policies and actions.
I.
THE CHALLENGE: SUSTAINABLE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF A
CHANGING BENGUELA CURRENT LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEM
The colonial and political past have left a legacy of fragmented management of the BCLME- an
absence of co-ordinated planning and integration, poor legal frameworks and a lack of
enforcement and implementation of existing regulatory instruments, insufficient public
involvement, unbalanced regional capacity development and inadequate financial mechanisms of
support.
These human factors superimposed on a complex ecosystem which transcends national/country
boundaries which has a highly variable environment have manifested themselves in declines of
fish stocks and some unsustainable practices of harvesting of living resources, uncertainty
regarding ecosystem status and yields, increasing pollution, habitat destruction and alteration, loss
of biotic integrity and threats to biodiversity, harmful algal blooms, and inadequate capacity to
monitor and assess ecosystems. All of these have significant transboundary implications. The
challenge is to halt this changing state of the BCLME and, where possible, to reverse the process
through co-operative regional action to manage the ecosystem on an integrated and sustainable
basis.
1. The over-exploitation of the commercial fish stocks and some unsustainable
harvesting of the living resources of the Benguela Current ecosystem continue to be a cause of
concern. Maritime boundaries do not coincide with ecosystem boundaries, and several of the
region's important harvested resources are shared between countries or at times move across
national borders. Over-harvesting of a species in one country can therefore lead to depletion of
that species in another as well as changes to the ecosystem as a whole. Moreover, many resource
management difficulties common to all three countries are transboundary in nature and require
collective and co-operative action by member states to address them fruitfully.
2. The environment associated with the Benguela Current is highly variable, and so the
status and yield of the ecosystem as a whole are difficult to predict. Although the Benguela
ecosystem is naturally adapted to a highly variable environment, sustained events such as
Benguela Ninos, and Agulhas Current intrusions and changes in winds can have an impact on the
whole system, compounding the negative effects of fishing, while poor predictive ability limits
the capacity to manage effectively system-wide. In addition, the Benguela Current Large Marine
Ecosystem is believed to play a significant role in global and ocean processes and may be an
important site for the early detection of global climate change.
3. Deterioration in water quality poses a threat to the Benguela Current Large Marine
Ecosystem at local and regional levels. Although most impacts of chronic deterioration in water
quality are localised national issues, they are common to all countries, will increase as coastal
populations increase and will ultimately require collective, transboundary action to address them.
Moreover chronic pollution can favour less desirable species and result in the species migration
across national boundaries. Catastrophic events such as major oil spills and large-scale system-
wide anoxic events can have widespread transboundary consequences, requiring co-operative
management and sharing of knowledge, equipment and technology.
4. Habitat destruction, degradation and modification of the sea bed and coastal zone in
the BCLME are taking place at an increased pace. Although most impacts appear localised,
habitat alterations attributable to fishing and mining can cause migration of biota and system-
wide ecosystem change. Uncertainties exist about the transboundary and regional cumulative
impacts on the benthos resulting from sea bed mining and associated sediment disturbance and
movement.
5. Increased loss of biotic integrity, such as changes in community composition, species
and diversity, and the introduction of alien species threaten the biodiversity of the Benguela
Current as a whole. Past over-exploitation of targeted species has altered the ecosystem, causing
impacts at all levels, including top predators, and reducing the genetic diversity. Endemic species
such as the African penguin are now threatened or endangered. Alien species of phytoplankton
have been introduced into the BCLME as a result of ballast water from ships, potentially
destabilising the foodweb.
6. There is insufficient and limited institutional, infrastructural and human capacity at all
levels to assess the status of the BCLME as a whole, and to jointly engage and assess the shared
resources and other transboundary elements/components and variability thereof. Moreover there
is unequal distribution of this capacity between countries.
7. During the past decade, there has been increased incidence in
the occurrence of blooms of harmful algae in the coastal waters in many parts of the world as a
result of highloading by nutrients and contaminants as well as the invasion by alien species.
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) occur in coastal waters of all three countries of the Benguela
Current and all three face similar problems in terms of assessment of the impacts, and monitoring
the effects and management of the problems caused to fisheries and the quality of seafood.
Collective regional and transboundary action will be required to co-operatively address this
problem.
II. THE BASIS FOR CO-OPERATIVE ACTION
An organisation entitled the BCLME Programme is hereby established as an international
body in terms of The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
Principles
8. The concept of sustainable development shall be used in a way that does not destroy the
integrity of the BCLME ecosystem, or otherwise foreclose on options for use and enjoyment for
future generations.
9. The precautionary principle, where appropriate, shall be applied, preventative measures
being taken when there are reasonable grounds for concern that an activity may increase the
potential hazards to human health, living marine resources or marine ecosystems, damage
amenities, or interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea, even when there is no conclusive
evidence of a causal relationship between the activity and the effects and by virtue of which
greater caution is required when information is uncertain, unreliable or inadequate.
10. Anticipatory and co-operative actions, such as contingency planning, environmental
impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment (involving the conservation of living
marine resources, the transboundary assessment of the environmental consequences of
government policies, programmes and plans), shall be taken.
11. The use of clean technologies which require the replacement or phasing-out of high
waste and waste-generating technologies that remain in use shall be encouraged.
12. The use of economic and policy instruments that foster sustainable development shall
be promoted through, inter alia, the implementation of economic incentives for introducing
environmentally friendly technologies, activities and practices; the phasing-out of subsidies
which encourage the continuation of non-environmentally friendly technologies, activities and
practices; the introduction of user fees and the polluter pays principle; as well as the auditing of
natural resources and environment.
13. Environmental, ecosystem and human health considerations shall be included into all
relevant policies and sectoral plans, especially those concerning marine industrial development,
fisheries, mariculture and marine transport.
14. Co-operation among member states shall be promoted especially in the area of
transboundary issues and activities.
15. The participation and co-operation of the private sector shall be encouraged and is seen
as integral to the successful management and implementation of the SAP.
16. Recognising the interests of other states in the BCLME such states
shall be encouraged to take part in, co-operate and jointly engage in activities.
17. Transparency, public participation and co-operation in the work of the
BCLME shall be fostered through wide dissemination of information on the work undertaken to
enhance the integrated and sustainable management of the BCLME, including environmental
variability forecasting and protection.
Institutional arrangements
18. In order to implement the actions and policies agreed upon, it is imperative that
existing regional mechanisms for co-operation among the member states be strengthened to
ensure the necessary capacity building to promote sustainable integrated management of the
BCLME. The member states will actively pursue a policy of co-financing with industry and
donor agencies.
19. An Interim Benguela Current Commission (IBCC) shall be established to strengthen
regional co-operation and be fully supported by a Programme Co-ordinating Unit (PCU) and
subsidiary bodies, such as Advisory Centres and Groups. The IBCC should become a fully
functional Benguela Current Commission (BCC) with a supporting Secretariat within a period of
five years after formal commencement of the BCLME Programme.
20.The IBCC shall implement this Strategic Action Programme and shall establish at its
first session such bodies as necessary to provide support for specific projects and processes
related to it's implementation.
21. The IBCC shall be structured as described in the Annex.
22. The IBCC shall be supported by Advisory Groups located and co-ordinated at Activity
Centres in each of the member states. The following Advisory Groups are initially agreed upon
in principle:
a) an Advisory Group on Fisheries and other Living Marine
Resources
b) an Advisory Group on Marine Environmental Variability and
Ecosystem Health
c) an Advisory Group on Marine Pollution
d) an Advisory Group on Legal Affairs and Maritime Law
e) an Advisory Group on Information and Data Exchange
23. The IBCC (later the BCC) shall regularly review the status and functions of the
Advisory Groups and consider the establishment of ad hoc groups for the purpose of
implementing this SAP.
24. The BCLME Programme Co-ordinating Unit will function as the IBCC Secretariat and
shall be headed by a Regional Co-ordinator. The PCU shall perform all such tasks as delegated by
the IBCC and in particular it shall (a) co-ordinate and administer the Programme including
contract preparations, financial management, auditing and preparation of annual reviews b)
assume responsibility for the operation and maintenance of an electronic communications system
for purposes of facilitating interaction between the components of the BCLME institutional
network, (c) liaise with Activity Centres to provide information on bibliography, data sources,
status of the ecosystem, environmental variability and assessment activities (d) where
appropriate, organise bi-annual conferences based on the results of assessment of the changing
state of the BCLME. The first such conference will be held in March 2002.
Wider co-operation
25.The IBCC (later the BCC) and member states shall individually and jointly encourage the
following:
A) ENHANCED CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN REGIONAL BODIES AND
INITIATIVES SUCH AS BENEFIT, THE FUTURE SOUTH EAST ATLANTIC
FISHERIES ORGANISATION (SEAFO), AND NGOS WHICH CONTRIBUTE
TOWARDS THE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
AND UTILISATION OF THE LIVING MARINE RESOURCES AND PROTECTION OF
THE BENGUELA CURRENT LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEM. THE IBCC MAY,
WHERE APPROPRIATE, DEVELOP INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH
SADC AND PROMOTE COLLABORATION WITH OTHER SADC STATES AND
PROJECTS E.G. THE REGIONAL FISHERIES INFORMATION SYSTEM (RFIS).
b) Co-operation between the regional governmental bodies and NGOs through
transparency of the negotiating process, widespread availability of information and documents
and, where appropriate, open access to meetings.
c) Co-operation with donors, including multilateral financial institutions, bilateral aid
agencies and private foundations, in the aim of securing funding for projects and policies
identified in the BCLME SAP, to be further developed at national level.
d) Co-operation with appropriate international organisations, including UN Agencies
and international NGOs in implementing this SAP.
E) CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER STATES WITH INTERESTS IN THE
BCLME AND OTHER LMES THAT SHARE SIMILAR ATTRIBUTES AND ARE THE
SUBJECT OF REGIONAL CO-OPERATION.
26. International agreements relevant to the aims and objectives of this SAP shall be
implemented by each member state party to such agreement. Where this is appropriate and has
not yet been done, member states shall consider ratifying or acceding to such agreements or
otherwise consider implementing protocols relevant to the sustainable management of the
BCLME. Consideration shall also be given to implementing other relevant international
instruments.
27. Provisions for the settlement of disputes will be made by referring directly to the IBCC.
28. The boundaries of the BCLME for the purpose of this SAP will be as follows: (a)
eastern landward boundary will be the high-water mark at the land-sea interface (b) the northern
boundary will be located at 5 °S, (c) the southern boundary will be 38° 20'S (the southernmost
extent of South Africa's continental EEZ, and extending as far as 27°E and (d) the western
boundary for the purpose of the BCLME is taken at the 0° meridian. The western boundary in
terms of enforcible management actions under the SAP is however located at the seaward extent
of the EEZs of the member countries i.e. 200 nautical miles offshore.
III. POLICY ACTIONS
A. Sustainable Management and Utilisation of Living Marine
Resources
Living marine resources are harvested by commercial and artisanal and recreational fisheries
throughout the BCLME, and fishing is important to the economies of all three countries. Most
of the region's important harvested resources are shared between countries, or at times move
across national boundaries. Over-harvesting of a species in one country can therefore lead to
depletion of that species in another, resulting in potentially irreversible changes to the ecosystem
as a whole. In contrast, there may be species that can provide opportunities for sustainable
development (e.g. seaweed, some invertebrates) that are not optimally utilised. All principal
harvested fish stocks in the BCLME have been subjected to over-fishing in the past the
consequence of colonialism, some inappropriate historical policies and greed. The decline in
hake stocks in the 1960s and 1970s can be attributed to the rape of the ecosystem by foreign
fleets, and the collapses of sardine and rock lobster were due to greed and mismanagement
coupled with a lack of understanding about the impacts of environmental variability. Over-
fishing has had a negative impact on other components of the ecosystem too, e.g. seabirds and
marine mammals. In order to rebuild depleted stocks and to repair the damage done to the
ecosystem by past actions, and at the same time to develop employment opportunities and socio-
economic advancement, the governments of Angola, Namibia and South Africa have
committed themselves to the development of sustainable integrated management and
utilisation of living marine resources through the following suite of policy actions:
29.
In order to ensure the sustainable management and utilisation of living
marine resources of the BCLME and avoid foreclosure of options for future generations, the
following policy actions which address identified priority transboundary issues are agreed to:
(a)
Regional structure
A regional structure will be established to conduct transboundary fish stock and ecosystem
assessments, to evaluate transboundary resource-environment linkages and to provide advice in
these areas to governments. The implementation of this transboundary structure will involve the
national focal institutions in the three states.
(b) Joint surveys and assessment
Joint surveys and assessment of shared stocks of key species will be undertaken co-
operatively over a five year period commencing in 2001 as a demonstration of the benefits to
the individual nations of joint transboundary fisheries assessments. Integral within this
collaboration will be the gathering of baseline data, comparisons and validation of survey and
assessment methodology. The Activity Centre(s) responsible will give effect to the above and
provide a basis for regional advice on shared stocks.
(c) Harmonising management of shared stocks
The IBCC shall, where appropriate, harmonise the management of shared stocks through, inter
alia addressing technical issues such as fishing gear, mesh size/type, compatible data and
assessment methodology. (Note: harmonising management does not necessarily imply joint
management).
(d) Assessment of non-exploited species
Co-operative assessments of non-exploited species, both offshore and inshore, which are
common to at least two of the countries, will be undertaken where appropriate. This will
require the gathering and calibration of baseline information on these species, and
assessment of the impact of any future harvesting on the ecosystem. The appropriate Activity
Centre(s) will have the function of co-ordinating these activities.
(e) Regional mariculture policy
Mariculture contributes sustainably to the regional economy and the improvement of living
conditions of coastal communities. There is considerable potential for the expansion of
mariculture regionally. However, it is essential to ensure that future growth of the industry does
not at the same time have negative impacts on the ecosystem. The IBCC shall endeavour to
develop a responsible regional mariculture policy in co-operation with SADC by December 2002
to harmonise national policies in such a manner that actions of one state do not impact negatively
on the economic potential of another, nor on the ecosystem as a whole. The policy shall provide
for the implementation of appropriate monitoring actions, including monitoring of harmful algal
blooms.
(f) Socio-cconomic analysis
Co-operative analyses of socio-economic consequences of various harvesting methods, the
improved use of living marine resources and the economic value of the BCLME as an ecosystem,
will be undertaken with a view to appropriate intervention within the framework of
improving sustainable ecosystem use/management and quantifying regional and global benefits.
Co-ordination of these activities will be undertaken by the appropriate Activity Centre.
(g)
Fishery conservation measures
National policies on protected areas and other conservation measures will be harmonised as far as
possible.
(h) Code of conduct for responsible fishing
The governments of Angola, Namibia and South Africa commit themselves to compliance with
the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing.
B. Management of Mining and Drilling Activities
Exploration for oil, gas and minerals (e.g. diamonds) is expanding throughout the BCLME.
There is substantial oil extraction in northern Angola (Cabinda Province), and development of
oil/gas fields (with pipelines) farther south are planned (e.g. in Namibia). Capped abandoned
wellheads hamper fishing, while drill cuttings and hydrocarbon spills impact on the environment.
Extensive diamond mining is being conducted by dredging along the coasts and continental
shelves of Namibia and South Africa. The ecosystem effects of these activities are not fully
known, and conflicts can arise between different sectors (e.g. mining-fishing-conservation).
30. In order to further the objectives of responsible multi-sectoral utilisation of the
BCLME and to minimise any negative impacts on the ecosystem of mining and drilling
activities, the following policy actions are agreed to:
(a) Regional consultation framework
The IBCC shall develop by December 2002 a regional framework for enhanced consultation, with
the objective of mitigating the negative impacts of mining, reducing inter-sectoral conflicts and
ensuring that benefits accrue. The IBCC shall develop by December 2003 a Code of Conduct for
responsible mining, including rehabilitation of affected areas, which would be voluntary.
(b) Policy harmonisation
The governments of the three countries will collaborate to
harmonise mining policies relating to shared resources, cumulative
impacts and their mitigation.
(c) Cumulative impact assessment
Impact assessment of the cumulative effects of mining activities on the BCLME will be
undertaken. The principle of co-funding by industry is accepted and will be promoted.
(d) Co-ordination of actions relating to the offshore exploration and production of oil and
gas
Co-ordinated actions for the assessment and mitigation of negative impacts on the
ecosystem of oil and gas exploration and production will be facilitated.
C. Assessment of Environmental Variability, Ecosystem Impacts and Improvement of
Predictability
The BCLME is unique among eastern boundary upwelling systems in that it is bounded at both
northern and southern ends by tropical or sub-tropical regimes, which significantly impact on
the ecosystem. It is a highly complex system that displays a high degree of environmental
variability on a variety of time and space scales. Human impact on the BCLME (e.g. fishing)
is superimposed on its inherent natural variability. The combined effect of anthropogenic
disturbance and this variability has been implicated in ecosystem change and collapse of
harvested resources. There is fragmentary but important evidence of increasing instability and
variability. There is also considerable uncertainty regarding cause and effect of ecosystem status
and yields. Lack of information about and understanding of environmental variability and its
system-wide impact hampers the management of the BCLME resources and results in non-
optimal utilisation of these resources. Moreover, there is evidence that environmental signals
from the BCLME are useful predictors of rainfall in SADC countries. This has important
implications for regional food security.
31. In order to assess environmental variability, ecosystem impacts and improve
predictability in support of sustainable integrated management of the BCLME, the following
policy actions are agreed to:
(a) Development of environmental early-warning system
A suitable needs-driven, cost-effective regional early warning system for monitoring major
environmental events within the BCLME will be developed by 2003. This will include the cross-
linking of existing national environmental monitoring systems, adapting these and then
integrating and linking (networking) with ongoing international ocean monitoring activities
through a demonstration project using an array of moored oceanographic buoys. Information on
the state of the environment, which is the primary product of improved environmental assessment
and networking, will be incorporated into the various decision-making support systems that
underpin in particular living marine resource management, coastal zone management, pollution
management e.g. oil pollution and disaster contingency planning and rainfall prediction. An
Activity Centre will co-ordinate the development of the early warning system and the
management application thereof for the region, establish requisite networking, and permit regular
"state-of-the-environment" analysis and reporting in the three countries and for the region.
Assessment of the utility of and feasibility of a regional link-up with the existing PIRATA
moored ocean- monitoring buoy network in the equatorial Atlantic will be undertaken through
a demonstration project to assess the feasibility of establishing an early warning system for
environmental perturbations in the BCLME.
(b) Baseline establishment
Analysis of existing data series and material archives will be undertaken collaboratively to
ascertain and provide a baseline against which to measure future transboundary
variability/change, in particular decadal changes, and to ascertain the extent of and trends in
variability and change, in particular decadal changes during the 20th century. This work will
be facilitated through one of the Activity Centres. The establishment of an environmental
baseline for the BCLME is seen as a high priority regionally and is also important in a global
context.
(c) Improving predictability of extreme events
Analysis and reassessment of available data and information, augmented where
appropriate by new material, will be undertaken to determine the sources and large-scale
impacts on the BCLME of variations in seawater oxygen level as well as other extreme episodes
of inter-annual variability, with a view to improving predictability of their timing, extent and
ecosystem consequences. The improved predictability of major transboundary perturbations will
complement in particular resource assessment and modelling and resource management actions,
coastal zone management and marine pollution contingency planning. It will also be used to
enhance forecasting of regional rainfall and, as a consequence, better planning/management of
terrestrial activities such as agriculture that depend on rainfall. This work will be jointly
facilitated through the Activity Centres in all countries.
(d) Harmful algal blooms (HABs)
A regional HAB reporting network will be developed during 2001 with a view to its
implementation in 2002. Regional contingency plans for assessing the transboundary effects of
HABs will be developed and implemented by December 2002. Data on HABs will be an
important input into the sustainable development of mariculture, and data requirements will be
specified in a plan for regional mariculture policy harmonisation.
(e) Climate change
In view of the role that upwelling systems may play in climate change as sources and sinks of
carbon, the three countries will collaborate with the international community to assess the
carbon dioxide source/sink status of the BCLME and likely feedback mechanisms to climate.
D. Management of Pollution
Coastal developments and rapid expansion of coastal cities, much of which was unforeseen or
unplanned, has created pollution "hot spots" in all three countries, with resultant
deterioration in water quality. The problem is aggravated by an increase in marine litter from
land and shipping activities. In addition, a substantial volume of oil is transported through the
BCLME region and within it, and there is increasing exploration and extraction of oil and
gas in the north. There is a significant risk of contamination of large areas of fragile coastal
environments from major accidents, damage to coastal infrastructure and to straddling fish stocks.
32. The following joint policy actions to manage marine pollution in the BCLME and
minimise ecosystem impacts are agreed:
(a) Harmonising environmental quality objectives
The IBCC will endeavour to provide effective regional communication to co-ordinate efforts to
control marine pollution, minimise impacts and develop cost-effective solutions. This will
include inter alia development of regional environmental quality indicators, proposals for
marine pollution control and surveillance, regional monitoring/inspection of the coastal zone and
regional enforcement of standards. The focus will be on prevention rather than cure. In the case
of point source pollution, the member states will by June 2002 develop waste quality criteria for
receiving waters.
(b) Oil pollution contingency plans and regional policy
All three countries have or shortly will have oil pollution contingency plans. The IBCC will
endeavour to harmonise these plans as far as possible and to develop necessary mechanisms
for sharing technology and expertise, and in the event of a major oil spill, for the sharing of
clean-up equipment and provision of expert advice. An appropriate regional policy will be
developed by 2003 to minimise transboundary (cross-border) impacts of oil pollution from
activities in the EEZs of individual countries. Such activities will be co-ordinated by an
Activity Centre.
(c) Implementation of MARPOL 73/78
The Commission will co-operate with the SADC initiative for devising a common strategy for the
implementation of MARPOL 73/78 in the BCLME region which is to be devised by December
2000.
(d) Marine litter
The growing problem of marine litter will be addressed first by a regional public awareness
campaign (which will have seafarers as its primary focus); and second by harmonising legislation,
enforcement and implementation of standards at a regional level. Locally and nationally,
activities will be facilitated and co-ordinated.
E. Maintenance of Ecosystem Health and Protection of
Biological Diversity
Human impact on the ecosystem by way of fishing, increasing pressure on the coastal zone,
pollution etc. has negatively affected components of the system, in particular on top predators
such as marine mammals, coastal birds, e.g. African penguins which are now threatened or
endangered. Several habitats, in particular coastal habitats, have also been perturbed or lost
as a consequence of development and other human impacts, such as loss of wetlands, destruction
of mangroves and lagoon. These have transboundary consequences and may be important
globally. Moreover, there has been a loss of biotic integrity, including changes in
community composition, species diversity and the introduction of alien species.
33. In order to retard or reverse habitat alteration and destruction and to protect vulnerable
species and biological diversity, the following regional policy actions are agreed to.
(a) Vulnerable species and habitats
A regional assessment of the status of the most vulnerable species and habitats will be
undertaken collaboratively by December 2001. This assessment will be facilitated by one of the
Activity Centres. Member states will endeavour to assemble the necessary baseline data
and, where affordable, undertake focused research on perceived causality. A regional marine
and coastal early warning system will be developed by December 2002 and incorporated into an
action that will specify environmental quality criteria and propose the most appropriate regional
structure to address the problems. Implicit in this is the development of mechanisms for co-
operation between industries, governments and other stakeholders. A needs assessment to
improve coastal management expertise will also be conducted. A suite of appropriate projects
for marine and coastal areas suitable for GEF and donor funding will be elaborated during 2000.
These will include inter alia a project to determine the carrying capacity of BCLME coastal zone
for tourism.
(b) Ballast water policy
A regional policy on ballast water for the BCLME will be developed in tandem with the
existing GEF international ballast water management project. The latter project will include a
SADC-wide workshop to raise awareness on the problems associated with ballast water. South
Africa can take the lead in this initiative.
(c) Marine biological diversity conservation
A regional marine biodiversity conservation management plan will be developed by December
2003. This plan will include a framework for assessment and prediction of the aspects of
environmental change, an assessment of genetic diversity implications of marine resource
management, and identification of priority marine protected areas, in particular possible
transboundary protected areas. Close co-operation will also be maintained with the SADC
programme "The Southern African Biodiversity Support Programme". The GEF SIDS
Programme for the South Pacific could serve as a useful framework for the identification and
development of protected areas. The process of establishing a management plan will be facilitated
by an Activity Centre.
F. Capacity Strengthening
The strengthening of human and infrastructure capacity and the maintenance of existing capacity
has been identified as a high priority if not the highest priority, in the region. Existing capacity is
stretched to the limit to address national priorities within the BCLME, and there is a serious lack
of capacity to address the priority transboundary issues identified in the TDA and highlighted in
this SAP. Appropriate strengthening of human and infrastructure capacity in the region is a
prerequisite for the sustainable integrated management of the BCLME. This applies at all
levels in all transboundary components including, inter alia, science and technology based
activities and assessment, economic assessment, surveillance, overall management and policy
development and regulation and enforcement.
34. Policy actions proposed to develop and maintain capacity in the BCLME are listed below.
(a) Strategic plan for capacity strengthening
A comprehensive collaborative study of human capacity and training and infrastructure
needs to address priority transboundary issues will be undertaken during 2000, together with an
assessment of the status of existing capacity and trends therein. This needs assessment will
use as its point of departure the priority areas identified in the TDA, eg. transboundary resource
assessment and management, environmental assessment and prediction of large-scale extreme
events which impact across BCLME and national boundaries and ecosystem consequences of
extreme events, transboundary pollution management, cumulative impact assessment of mining,
system-wide protection of biodiversity, etc.. It will harmonise with other programmes and activity
areas such as BENEFIT and the EU-SADC Monitoring-Control-Surveillance (MCS) initiative. It
will form a basis for the collaborative development of a comprehensive but realistic
regional strategic plan for capacity strengthening and maintenance within the context of the
BCLME and focusing on transboundary needs, and will be finalised by June 2001.
(b) Implementation of capacity strengthening strategic plan
Following acceptance of the regional strategic plan for capacity strengthening and maintenance in
the BCLME, each country shall endeavour to implement the strategy to the best of its ability.
IV. NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS
35. Each member state shall prepare by June 2000 a national BCLME strategic action plan (10
pages) or other corresponding document, which shall present details of additional national
actions to further implement the SAP. These shall include details of responsibilities and
specific projects where possible.
V.
FINANCING THE STRATEGIC ACTION PROGRAMME FOR THE NEXT
FIVE YEARS AND REVIEW
36. The countries will seek the necessary funding for the actions agreed upon in this Strategic
Action Programme from national, regional and international sources, through private and
general public funding or through the application of specific economic instruments, as well
as through grants and loans. Specific projects for international funding will be prepared for
bilateral or multilateral funding. Donor conferences for assisting in this process shall be held
every five years, starting in the year 2000. Specific funding arrangements for the national
policies and measures agreed on in this Strategic Action Programme shall be presented in the
National SAPs to be adopted by each of the member states.
37. The SAP shall be reviewed from time to time and updated when and where necessary.
VI. ARRANGEMENTS FOR FUTURE CO-OPERATION
38. The implementation of this SAP over a five-year period will produce a revised programme
that will lead to long-term measures to sustain and protect the BCLME. Member states agree to
commit themselves to continuing the BCLME Programme beyond the GEF intervention, and will
endeavour to (a) adopt appropriate legislation, (b) implement economic instruments and (c)
establish a permanent Benguela Current Commission with a supporting Secretariat. A financial
plan that will make provision for future sustainable funding will be prepared, including a study on
the feasibility of establishing an Environmental Fund.
39. It is envisioned that the BCLME Programme will continue to develop strong links with
institutions, NGOs and the private sector within member states and the SADC region as a whole,
so promoting the overall objective of closer economic integration.
ANNEX I
The Structure of the Interim Benguela Current Commission
The Interim Benguela Current Commission will consist of three representatives from each country,
each with a vote. Decisions will be made with majority voting. The terms of office of the
Commissioners shall be for six years, one-third retiring after two years and another one-third after four
years. A chairperson shall be elected by the Commission and will be rotate every two years. There shall
be equality between member states; The IBCC will also have non-voting representation from (a)
SEAFO, (b) UNDP (c) SADC (d) BENEFIT and (e) the Secretariat. The World Bank shall be
represented on the IBCC for the duration of the BCLME Programme (five years ). Specialists and
representatives of other stakeholders and regional or international organisations can be co-opted onto
the IBCC from time to time as appropriate.
ANNEX II
Recommendations to the Interim Benguela Current Commission
Advisory Groups and Activity Centres Associated with the Benguela Current Large Marine
Ecosystem Strategic Action Programme (BCLME-SAP)
The purpose of the Advisory Groups is to provide the Secretariat or the PCU with the best possible
advice and information on topics key to implementation of the BCLME Strategic Action Programme.
In all cases, they will, as part of their duties, respond to requests for advice from the PCU and prepare
proposals for the PCU's consideration at their own initiative. The groups will include experts from
specialised focal points of the member states. The Advisory Groups will work closely with other
experts, bodied, institutions and industry as they, or the PCU, deem necessary. Involvement with
relevant NGOs is also encouraged, particularly in the improvement of public participation and
awareness in all of the focal areas they cover. Particular attention shall also be given to including
experts in environmental law, environmental economics and public awareness, where appropriate.
Each Advisory Group shall seek to make best use of expertise and institutional capacity within the
region and, within its work plan, approved on an annual basis by the IBCC, may request assistance
from or assign specific tasks to, any institution or expert that it considers appropriate.
The BCLME-PCU will provide general co-ordination for the Advisory Groups, assigning the
management of specific tasks to appropriate officers according to their technical specialisation.
The Advisory Groups shall be supported by three Activity Centres (one in each member state) which
shall co-ordinate the necessary programme support and the provision of practical technical support for
their work. The Activity Centres shall be created through in-kind contributions by member state
governments, as well as with significant funding from donors, especially during the first three years.
Advisory Groups shall liaise with each other where appropriate and joint groups may be set up from
time-to-time, particularly on such issues as resource assessment, fisheries development, ecosystem
health, environmental variability and environmental impact assessment.
The Advisory Groups to be located in Activity Centres are defined and listed below.
1. Advisory Group on Fisheries and Other Living Marine Resources
The Group will co-ordinate activities and provide technical support for the sustainable management,
utilisation and protection of fisheries and other living marine resources of the BCLME. The Advisory
Group will gather the basic source of information related to transboundary commercial fish stocks and
management strategies including means of capture, installed capacity and protection measures and will
be co-ordinate calibration/inter-calibrations for transboundary assessments; socio-economic
assessments and serve as a regional forum for stock assessment advice. Information would also be
collected on other potentially important living marine resources that are currently not harvested, as well
as mariculture projects. These data will be gathered from all national authorities and should document
past changes in the production and stock of the region and their relationship to changes in the Benguela
Current ecosystem. They will provide the basic source of information for future management
strategies, and for the implementation of any future fisheries convention.
The Group will develop proposals and, where appropriate, co-ordinate:
1.
harmonisation at the regional level of a legal and institutional framework aimed at
sustainable use of living marine resources;
2.
improvement of the fisheries resource assessment of the BCLME based on a regional
approach;
3.
development of projects for conservation, protection and rehabilitation of living
marine resources;
4.
development of specific techniques for mariculture that do not harm the environment
or the biological diversity. The Group will collaborate with regional and international
institutions, government bodies and the private sector.
2. Advisory Group on Environmental Variability and Ecosystem Health
This Group will co-ordinate activities and provide technical support for the development and
implementation of an early warning system for variability and change in the physical, chemical and
biological environment of the BCLME. Development of models to predict transboundary
environmental change and assess the overall health of the ecosystem will form a primary role of this
Group. The implementation of new techniques for rapid assessment of the Benguela Current ocean and
coastal environments will also be pursued. Cost-effectiveness will be a guiding principal for group
activities.
The Group will develop proposals for and co-ordinate:
1.
effective state of the environmental assessment of the Benguela Current Large
Marine Ecosystem;
2.
modeling of the Benguela Current ecosystem and the interaction between the
physical, chemical and biological parameters with a view to improving predictability
of extreme events and system wide change;
3.
the metocean data buoy (PIRATA) demonstration project in southern Angola-
northern Namibia;
4.
rapid environmental assessment techniques using towed undulating oceanographic
instruments and satellite remote sensing;
5.
regional training programmes in scientific and technical aspects of environmental
monitoring, data processing and modeling of the BCLME;
6.
development of a regional network, contingency plan and reporting system for
HABs;
7.
mitigation impacts of HABs and community involvement in
monitoring.
3. Advisory Group on Marine Pollution
The Group will co-ordinate, and provide technical support for, project activities aimed at the
prevention, reduction, control and monitoring of all sources of transboundary pollution in the BCLME
area.
Such activities will include:
1.
assessment of water quality in the BCLME area, including identification and
comparative evaluation of sources of pollution;
2.
development of regional protocols and agreements with a view to harmonising
policies and standards on water and sediment quality, and on the control of marine litter;
3.
development of a regional framework for the monitoring of marine pollution and
enforcement of regulations;
4.
assessment for the needs for training in marine pollution control, and identification of
relevant opportunities and/or development of courses as necessary;
5.
development of a regional oil spill contingency plan;
6.
development of public awareness of marine pollution issues through the production
of relevant educational material;
7.
implementation of demonstration projects. In addition, the Advisory Group will liaise
and collaborate with relevant regional and international institutions, government
bodies, NGOs and the private sector (eg. industry).
4. Advisory Group on Legal and Maritime Affairs
The Group will monitor and advise the PCU (Secretariat) on the emerging legal regimes of the
BCLME, measures adopted under it and activities carried out within it, with a view to ensuring:
1.
the appropriate development of the regime and its efficacy;
2.
the consistency of the regime with global international law regimes (such as
UNCLOS, UNEP, pollution conventions, the Biodiversity Convention, etc..
3.
the consistency of the regime with regional and other related international law
regimes (such as SADC and the projected SEAFO);
4.
that harmonisation of national policies within the system are similarly consistent; The
Group will where requested to do so by the PCU (Secretariat or a Member State)
examine the compatibility of any national measure taken by any Member State with a
view to assessing its consistency with the system and advising thereon.
Advisory Group on Information and Data Exchange
This group will focus its work on the improvement of information flow and data exchange. In
particular, it will oversee:
1.
Updating the existing Benguela Current information on fisheries, oceanography,
environmental variability and ecosystem health, diamond mining and other minerals
and deposits, offshore oil and gas exploration and production, coastal developments,
and socio-economics;
2.
develop of an integrated regional data base and Geographic Information System
(GIS) for the BCLME;
3.
compile and update a bibliography of the region and a BCLME website;
4.
strengthening the e-mail network and improve Internet connections to the web
services for principal data centres and Ministries of Environment, Fisheries and
Marine Resources and Energy and Mining for the exchange of information and data
including meta-data;
5.
develop a regional Internet facility comprising environmental data, sets of data
obtained from various national, regional and international programmes, copies of
historical data and datasets from global data centres such as the World Data Centre
(WDC), the Global Ocean Observation System-Living Marine Resources (GOOS-
LMR) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC);
6.
co-operate with an NGO network in data exchange; Furthermore it will organise
training on data exchange, promote and support UN agency sponsored distance-
learning programmes such as the International Waters IW:LEARN and TRAIN-SEA-
COAST Programmes and also assist other networks in the region.
A major part of the BCLME Programme activities will be implemented by a network of specialist
institutions co-ordinated by Activity Centres. Each government will agree to host one of these centres.
The centres will be based on national institutions selected by the Commissioners at the first meeting of
the IBCC or by the Programme Steering Committee. The Activity Centres will work closely with the
PCU in order to establish links with the national institutional focal points i.e. specialised institutions
selected by Governments to participate in each of the networks. With the support of the PCU, the
Activity Centres shall organise Working Parties , conduct training and present recommendations to the
Programme Steering Committee.
The Activity Centres are as follows:
Activity Centre 1: Living Marine Resources and Biodiversity Conservation
Activity Centre 2: Environmental Variability, Ecosystem Health and Pollution
Activity Centre 3: Capacity Strengthening and Networking
(functions of Activity Centres to be defined)