Here is a snapshot of some key milestones across WIOMSA’s 30 year organizational history.
The Western Indian Ocean region declared 143 marine and coastal areas as protected – an area covering 553,163 square kilometers, representing 7 percent of the total Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the region – according to the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Outlook by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-Nairobi Convention and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association.
The Marine Protected Areas Outlook, indicates that almost half of the total area – an estimated 63 percent of the overall square kilometers – was brought under protection in the seven years since the 2015 adoption of Sustainable Development Goal 14.5, which committed countries to conserving at least 10 percent of their marine and coastal areas by 2020.
This Outlook examines the current and future status of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Comoros, Kenya, France (in its Western Indian Ocean territories), Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania, emphasizing the increased commitment of countries to strengthen marine protection. In 2019 alone, Seychelles brought 30 percent of its Exclusive Economic Zone under protection, safeguarding the habitats of 2,600 species, while South Africa declared 20 new MPAs – enabling both countries to exceed the 10 percent target. Comoros has developed new MPA-specific legislation, while over three hundred Locally Managed Marine Areas – i.e., areas in which coastal communities shoulder the mantle of conservation – have been declared across the region.
The publication further documents the dozens of proposed MPAs currently under consideration by countries, which would cover an additional 50,000 square kilometers or more. Nevertheless, with only 7 percent of the region’s total EEZ under protection, greater momentum and investments will be required by countries to reach the more ambitious target of 30 percent protection by 2030, as proposed under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Although the ocean provides us with resources essential for survival, including food, employment, and even oxygen, the world is damaging and depleting it faster than ever. Soon, the region may no longer be able to count on the many jobs, health, and economic benefits – valued at 20.8 billion USD – that the Western Indian Ocean provides. Marine protected areas offer one of the best options to reverse these trends.
“A well-managed MPA can bring significant economic, social, and environmental benefits to a country,” said Yamkela Mngxe, Acting Director of Integrated Projects and International Coordination in South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. “They can increase food security by preventing the overexploitation of fish stocks; create and protect jobs in the tourism and fisheries sectors; build resilience to climate change; and protect species and habitats.”
Though countries in the region have made significant strides in protecting its marine and coastal areas, the Outlook outlines best practices, challenges, and several opportunities to build on this progress to ensure the entire region meets future Global Biodiversity Framework targets on marine protected areas. The Outlook’s assessment of the management effectiveness of MPAs indicates that MPA frameworks and institutions do not always function effectively. Nor is relevant legislation consistently implemented, due to financial or personnel capacity gaps; weak enforcement on MPA boundaries; and management decisions that are not guided by science.
Key recommendations from the Outlook therefore include:
The need for dedicated budgets for MPA management;
Adopting proactive law enforcement and compliance strategies to ensure MPA regulations and guidelines are being respected which could be informed by the best practices in fishery reserves like Mauritius, which have helped to restore fish stocks and protect biodiversity;
Incorporating research and monitoring programmes on biodiversity and ecosystems into decision-making in MPAs;
Strengthening community engagement in marine protection by implementing lessons learned by the MIHARI Network, which brings together more than 200 Locally Managed Marine Areas in Madagascar.
“The MPA Outlook comes at a time when the region has embarked on large-scale socio-economic developments that are equally exerting pressure on MPAs,” said Hon. Flavien Joubert, Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change, and Environment of the Seychelles. “The Outlook thus provides some answers and innovative approaches to minimize the scale of negative impacts on MPAs.”
The MPA Outlook concludes that by seizing the opportunities it presents, countries in the region can capitalize on this progress to safeguard the Western Indian Ocean’s immense natural beauty and resources for generations to come – and sustain momentum towards achievement of the post 2020 biodiversity framework targets.
The MPA Outlook, from the Nairobi Convention and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association, documents progress made by countries in the region towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14.5and provides lessons and opportunities to increase momentum for achieving post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework targets
Dr Arthur Tuda assumed office as Executive Secretary of WIOMSA in February 2020. He brings over 20 years of marine and coastal experience to WIOMSA when ocean solutions that benefit people, nature, and the economy are becoming more urgent. In this role, Arthur will provide leadership for WIOMSA’s current programmes (research support, capacity development, knowledge management) and shaping WIOMSA’s vision for the future.
Before joining WIOMSA, Arthur served in several roles, including head of ecosystems and landscapes at Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). He also worked as the assistant director leading Kenya’s coastal conservation planning and operations for the KWS.
Arthur has a regional reputation as a leader in the science and management of marine protected areas, with expertise in integrated marine conservation planning and management. He has built several successful partnerships and achievements for marine conservation in the western Indian Ocean (WIO) region, including developing a vibrant social MPA network and improving the use of science in the adaptive management of MPAs in the WIO region.
Arthur exemplifies ocean management and conservation leadership with a career spanning many disciplines, including fisheries, coastal management, maritime spatial planning, ocean governance, and strategy.
Arthur’s academic qualification includes BSc Fisheries, MSc Water and Coastal Management, PhD Marine and Coastal Management.
The WIOMSA Board of Trustees appoints Arthur Tuda as the new Executive Secretary effective 1st February 2020. Arthur took over the wheels of WIOMSA as part of the succession plan of the Association.
The Indian Ocean Research Group (IORG) Council of Ministers, in its meeting held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 7 November 2019, adopted that the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) be granted Observer Status to IORA and welcomed the interest and participation of WIOMSA in the activities of the Association.
As per the IORA Charter and Rules of Procedure, any organisation interested to become an Observer of the Association is required to submit a formal request to the Chair of IORA or the Secretary General of IORA. The Council of Ministers may grant the status of Observer to other Organisations, having the capacity and interest to contribute to IORA. The applicant is to adhere to the principles and objectives enshrined in the Charter of the Association.
The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) was established as a regional, non-profit, membership organization in 1993 and registered in Zanzibar, Tanzania in 1994 as a non-governmental organization. The organization is dedicated to promoting the educational, scientific and technological development of all aspects of marine sciences throughout the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region (consisting of 10 countries: Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Réunion (France), with a view toward sustaining the use and conservation of its marine resources. WIOMSA has a particular interest in linking the knowledge that emerges from research to the management and governance issues that affect marine and coastal ecosystems in the region.
The IORA Council of Ministers, in its meeting held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 7 November 2019, adopted that the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) be granted Observer Status to IORA and welcomed the interest and participation of WIOMSA in the activities of the Association.
Word from the WIOMSA President:
The year 2018 marks WIOMSA’s 25th anniversary. As we celebrate this huge milestone and look back at how far we have come as an organization, I am certain that our visionary founders never expected the small non-governmental organization they set up in 1993, with seed financing of less than USD 30 000 annually from Sida Sarec – disbursed through the IOC of UNESCO – to become one of the most influential regional players in the marine and coastal science arena in the Western Indian Ocean. Over the years it might have felt like we were not doing much, that our operations may not have yielded much, but today we can look back with pride and recognize that the building blocks that were laid by the founders of WIOMSA have borne much fruit.
WIOMSA celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018. This Silver Jubilee milestone represented a great deal of work and success for WIOMSA.
WIOMSA, with funding from the Government of Sweden, is implementing a four-year Cities and Coasts (C&C) Project (2018-2021), whose main objectives are to:
One of the main activities of the C & CP is a call for research proposals for full proposals for conducting research that generates solutions-oriented knowledge required to address the complex challenges facing coastal cities in the WIO region, improve broader planning of coastal cities as well as identifying opportunities offered by coastal cities for advancing sustainable development. The C&C Project aims to mobilizing scientists to collaborate with other key stakeholders in coastal cities such as local authorities, city planners, policy makers from central government, the private sector, civil society and citizens, in research co-design and co-production of the knowledge and production of decision-support tools, needed to support the transformation of coastal cities towards sustainability. The C&C Project-funded research projects must deliver both excellent science and clearly identify how the research will lead to tangible positive outcomes for target groups at the levels of policy, technology, environment, and the wellbeing of coastal communities.
Further, the Project will also invite proposals for supporting the organization of training courses/workshops. These proposals should seek to involve different groups including scientists, policy-makers, city planners, NGOs and local government representatives. Proposals should focus on regional priority issues and aim at building the capacity of key stakeholders in coastal cities to address these.
WIOMSA cities and coasts programme seeks to answer to the challenges of a sustainable blue economy with a strong focus on the role of planning and coastal settlements on the sustainability of this economy. WIOMSA, with funding from the Government of Sweden, is, therefore, implementing a four-year Cities and Coasts (C&C) Project (2018-2021)
Following the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 underlying targets, including SDG 14 ‘to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine
resources for sustainable development’, in September 2015, the Governments of Fiji and Sweden co-hosted the first high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14. This was held at United Nations Headquarters in
New York from 5 to 9 June 2017, coinciding with World Oceans Day.
The Conference aimed to be the game changer that will reverse the decline in the health of our ocean for people, planet and prosperity. The main outcomes of the Conference were a concise, focused, inter-governmentally agreed declaration in the form of a “Call for Action”
to support the implementation of Goal 14, and a report containing the co-chairs’ summaries of the partnership dialogues, as well as a list of voluntary commitments for the implementation of Goal 14.
WIOMSA was involved in the development of three Voluntary Commitments: ‘Ocean Literacy for All’ (https://oceanconference.un.org/commitments/?id=15187); ‘Regional Partnerships for Implementing SDG14 in the Western Indian Ocean’ (https://oceanconference.un.org/commitments/?id=15788); and the MARECO Project: Increasing the awareness of children for the
sustainable use of coral reefs and their resources in the SW Indian Ocean (https://oceanconference.un.org/commitments/?id=18623).
WIOMSA was also amongst the organizing partners of two Side Events that took place during the conference:
WIOMSA used this global platform to share the WIO’s experience in developing innovative solutions in addressing challenges facing management of coastal and marine environments, most of which WIOMSA is either leading, or is an active partner in.
WIOMSA at UN Conference was involved in the development of three Voluntary Commitments, was among the organizing partners of two Side Events that took place during the conference and also shared the WIO’s experience in developing innovative solutions in addressing challenges facing management of coastal and marine environments, most of which WIOMSA is either leading, or is an active partner in.
The Climate Change Strategy for the Western Indian Ocean region is an operational framework to foster regional cooperation in addressing the impacts of climate change by assessing the degree of preparedness and the vulnerability and adaptive options of communities within the Nairobi Convention area. It takes into account the existence of national climate change strategies and complements national actions by encouraging collaborative efforts by States with the aim of sustainably managing marine and coastal ecosystems by enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacities of socio-ecological systems, individually or collectively, in order to maximize resource use, and by avoiding duplication of effort.
The Climate Change Strategy for the Western Indian Ocean region is an operational framework to foster regional cooperation in addressing the impacts of climate change by assessing the degree of preparedness and the vulnerability and adaptive options of communities within the Nairobi Convention area. It takes into account the existence of national climate change strategies and complements national actions by encouraging collaborative efforts by States with the aim of sustainably managing marine and coastal ecosystems by enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacities of socio-ecological systems, individually or collectively, in order to maximize resource use, and by avoiding duplication of effort.
In 2015, WIOMSA achieved another milestone through its accreditation with UNEP as a major stakeholder after going through a rigorous review process. Accreditation brings many advantages with respect to participation in the work of UNEP’s Governing Bodies, such as the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and its subsidiary bodies. The purpose of accreditation is to provide non-governmental organizations with observer status to the UNEA and its subsidiary bodies according to Rule 70 of the rules of procedure of the UNEA.
In 2015, WIOMSA achieved another milestone through its accreditation with UNEP as a major stakeholder after going through a rigorous review process. Accreditation brings many advantages with respect to participation in the work of UNEP’s Governing Bodies, such as the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and its subsidiary bodies. The purpose of accreditation is to provide non-governmental organizations with observer status to the UNEA and its subsidiary bodies according to Rule 70 of the rules of procedure of the UNEA.
The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region spans across a large latitudinal range, from the Somalia region, influenced by the strong monsoon regime of the northern Indian Ocean,to the southern temperate regime of the tip of South Africa, where the Agulhas current diverges from the northward moving Atlantic Benguela current. It encompasses tropical and subtropical regions of diverse nature, rich stretches of coast along the mainland countries of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa, and vast oceanic areas surrounding the island states of Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius and French Territories. Geomorphological and oceanographic features define the character of the WIO.
The social tissue of the of the WIO, where much of the population lives at the coast, is an amalgam of diverse populations with different origins, a product of the rich and varied political history, where networks of trade interactions have generated a high ethnic and cultural diversity. The cultural heritage is thus important and matches the natural richness of the region. Most countries in the WIO have high population growth rates, and coastal development is expected to grow accordingly.
The Regional State of the Coast Report (RSOCR) derives from requirements of the Nairobi Convention and contributes to the United Nations-led production of the World Ocean Assessment (WOA) reports as well as to other global and regional processes, such as the Environment Outlooks coordinated by UNEP. The RSOCR aims to integrate the socio-economic and ecological systems of the WIO region by using a uniform methodology based on the Opportunities Framework and the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, Status, Impacts, Responses) approach.
The RSOCR’s approach has been adapted from the WOA framework, however the content and organization of the concluding chapters are based on the distinct needs of the WIO region. While the political agenda included the Contracting Parties and their National Focal Points to the Nairobi Convention, the technical process was guided by WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association) and involved a representative set of scientists with broad experience in the region.
The RSOCR’s main objectives are to:
The Regional State of Coast Report for the western Indian Ocean (WIO) is the first comprehensive regional synthesis to provide insights into the enormous economic potential around the WIO, the consequential demand for marine ecosystem goods and services to match the increasing human population, the pace and scale of environmental changes taking place in the region and the opportunities to avoid serious degradation in one of the world’s unique and highly biodiverse oceans. The report goes a step further and presents exploratory scenarios and policy analysis to better inform anticipatory planning and management of coastal and marine resources. This report highlights the enormous economic potential and development needs of countries around the WIO and, at the same time, points out the growing natural and anthropogenic pressure imposed on the region coastal and marine environment, and the opportunities to avoid them.
The establishment of the WIOMSA Trust was in March 2012. It was
The establishment of the WIOMSA Trust
The WIOMSA Regional conference on climate change adaptation in the coastal areas of the WIO, Balaclava, Mauritius was held in March, 2011. The objective of the conference was to bring together Ministers of relevant Ministries, Senior Government officials, representatives of regional bodies and the business community, scientists and members of key national and international NGOs, to share knowledge,
experience and solutions on impacts of climate change and particularly experience gained in implementation of adaptation and mitigation strategies, programmes and projects.
Regional Conference on “Impacts and adaptation to climate change in the WIO region: Solutions to the Crisis” March, 2011 in Grand Baie, Mauritius. The Nairobi Convention Secretariat in collaboration with WIOMSA, African Union and the Government of Mauritius organised a regional Conference on “Impacts and adaptation to climate change in the WIO region: Solutions to the Crisis” October 2010 in Grand Baie, Mauritius. Climate change threatens to deepen vulnerabilities, erode hard-won gains, and seriously undermine prospects for Africa achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The conference will deliberate on key climate change issues that Africa needs to address to strengthen its efforts towards the development and implementation of a comprehensive framework of African Climate change programmes and associated sub-regional frameworks and to lay the foundation for low carbon economies.
The WIOMSA Honorary and Fellowship Award
Introduction of the WIOMSA Honorary and Fellowship Award
Management and Financial review of WIOMSA
The 1st WIOMSA Scientific Symposium, Mombasa, Kenya in May 1997
WIOMSA appoints Dr. Julius Francis as Executive Secretary
WIOMSA appoints Dr. Julius Francis as Executive Secretary
The first funding activity and the MASMA programmes
WIOMSA registered in Zanzibar Tanzania as a non-governmental organization in 1993 and registered in Zanzibar, Tanzania in 1994
WIOMSA registered in Zanzibar Tanzania as a non-governmental organization in 1993 and registered in Zanzibar, Tanzania in 1994
WIOMSA appoints Dr Magnus Ngoile as the first Executive Secretary
WIOMSA appoints Dr Magnus Ngoile as the first Executive Secretary
The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) is established as a regional, non-profit, membership organization
The inaugural meeting of WIOMSA founding members, Inhaca , Mozambique
The formation of WIOMSA was recommended at a workshop on Marine Sciences in Eastern Africa sponsored by the Swedish Agency for Research Co-operation with Developing Countries (SAREC) and held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 14th – 16th November, 1989.
A decision was reached on the same by the marine scientific community of the Region.
A regional meeting of the marine scientists recommends the establishment of the regional network of WIOMSA in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, November 1989
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