Sustaining the World's Large Marine Ecosystems

November 2006. LMEs, GOOS, GEOSS and the UNEP Regional Seas
Programme shared a common vision and identified the needs and areas of future
collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the application of operational
oceanographic skills.
REPLICATION
While the BCLME project was underway, we provided assistance to other African
LME projects at various stages of development, and applied our experience and
the lessons learned from cooperative marine scientific research and
management. The experience gained in producing a comprehensive TDA and
SAP and planning and executing the project has been invaluable and can easily
be replicated in other GEF projects. Our practical experience in strategic
planning and institutional building, and the models used can be of great value
especially with regard to their application to eastern boundary upwelling systems.
The BCLME project also assisted the Secretariat of the Abidjan Conventions
(UNEP) in developing policy on how best to apply the mandate of the Convention
to protect the coastal and marine environment. The Benguela Current
Commission provided a useful model as a regional mechanism for implementing
the Convention.
International linkages were successfully established with the GEF—supported
Humboldt Current LME project and with the Pacific Islands through collaborative
workshops and exchange visits, some of which were sponsored by GEF
IW:LEARN. These contacts led to the cooperation of scientists in the Benguela
and in the Humboldt Current upwelling regions, with a sharing of knowledge on
the ecosystems approach to fisheries management and the monitoring of top
predators as a measure of ecosystem health.
Good outreach, high visibility and focused public relations were central to the
success of the BCLME project and in obtaining the necessary political will for
establishing the Benguela Current Commission. The appointment of a media
liaison officer who coordinated the production of annual newsletters, supervised
the operation of a comprehensive website, and wrote featured articles in regional
and international marine publications, ensured that a high profile for the project
was maintained. A BCLME brand and logo were also established, which are now
internationally known. Two published books, “The Benguela – Predicting a Large
Marine Ecosystem” (Elsevier Press), and “Benguela – Current of Plenty” – a
History of International Cooperation in Marine Science and Ecosystem
Management” (Benguela Current Commission), provided a record of ongoing
scientific achievements, capacity building and institutional development and
change.
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