The South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project has culminated in 2015 in the production of a comprehensive publication Offshore fisheries of the Southwest Indian Ocean: their status and the impact on vulnerable species produced by the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI). The report provides a valuable benchmark on the current knowledge of offshore fisheries in the southwest Indian Ocean, spanning crustacean, marine mammals, sea turtles, pelagic and shark fisheries.
The Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP) was launched with the overall objective:
“To promote the environmentally sustainable use of fish resources through adoption by countries riparian to the Southwest Indian Ocean of a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME)- based approach to fisheries management in the Agulhas and Somali LMEs that recognizes the importance of preserving biodiversity.”
The report that was officially launched by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI)at the 9th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium held at Port Edwards, Durban South Africa.