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 unep-nairobi-convention@un.org!
To get people thinking about seagrass, Seychelles coins new Creole words
Seychelles has an estimated 20,000 km2 (7,700 mi2) of seagrass meadows in its waters, but those around the inner islands are under pressure from development and other human activities. A campaign to adopt Creole words for different types of seagrasses found in the country’s coastal waters was launched to spread awareness about seagrasses’ value in protecting coastlines, providing habitat for marine life, and sequestering carbon.
Delivering transparency in fisheries: Madagascar publishes vessel lists
The Government of Madagascar has taken an important step towards fisheries transparency by publishing a list of industrial vessels authorised to fish in the country’s waters. This list, detailing 39 vessels permitted to catch shrimp for the 2022 season, is the latest in a series of commitments aimed at securing a more sustainable future for fisheries in the island nation. Blue Ventures recently highlighted this positive news story from Madagascar.
African wildlife, coasts suffer effects of flooding, drought
Devastating floods in South Africa this week, as well as other extreme weather events across the continent linked to human-caused climate change, are putting marine and terrestrial wildlife species at risk, according to biodiversity experts. However, scientists are hopeful that improved coastal management of marine protected areas and better restrictions on the fishing industry will curb impacts on marine biodiversity.
Scientists to scour African waters to gauge ocean pollution
Scientists last week began a five-month mission to study how plastic pollution in Africa's main rivers and climate change stresses are impacting microorganisms in the Atlantic ocean, they announced. The researchers will analyze how nutrients and pollution in major African rivers - the Congo, Orange, Gambia and Senegal - are affecting the Atlantic. They will trace the sources of plastic pollution at river mouths, to understand their distribution and the types of material involved.
This report focuses on SDG 14: Life below water, which seeks to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”. It highlights the significant role of regional seas conventions and action plans in supporting contracting parties to deliver directly on mainly SDG 14. Case studies are presented in further detail in a supplement to show how, through cooperation and collaboration, regional seas have helped advance progress towards a healthy marine and coastal environment for people and the planet.
The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) is a region where high biodiversity is increasingly being impacted by anthropogenic marine debris. However, information about the amounts, types, and sources of marine litter are scattered. 136 studies on marine litter and microplastics in the WIO region were carried out to harmonize existing knowledge. The result was the publication of four reports on marine litter and microplastics.
Stockholm+50 is an international meeting convened by the United Nations General Assembly to be held in Stockholm, Sweden from 2-3 June 2022. This year, Sweden will host Stockholm+50, with the support of Kenya. The event will commemorate the 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. It will be open to all participants invited to share experiences and initiatives to protect the planet and contribute to sustainable and inclusive development, including a sustainable recovery from the COVID -19 pandemic.
The 22nd annual meeting is to launch the new Regional Seas Strategic Directions 2022 – 2025 and kickstart its implementation.The meeting will also deliberate on marine litter and plastics pollution in light of Resolution to End plastic pollution and the role of the Regional Seas Programme; Ocean Governance; Regional Seas Programme input to the June 2022 UN Ocean Conference; Western Indian Ocean Marine Regions Forum in 2023; among others.
