Vision

Following on from initial deliberations between all participating countries an overall Vision for SWIOFP was developed and formally endorsed by all members:     

Recognising that in large LME’s of the West Indian Ocean

• We have one of the last areas where fishing activities are largely unregulated
• There is inadequate capacity or effective institutional framework to exercise jurisdiction over the 200 EEZ of most countries.
• There is a lack of reliable information about the nature, size and potential harvest of living resources.
• The relationship between the environment and fish abundance is neither understood nor predictable.
• There is inadequate information on the potential threats to the environment as a result of fishing activities.

Further noting that

• There is inadequate regional collaboration to ensure wise management of resources, especially transboundary species.
• Lessons learnt from other fishery regions elsewhere indicate that sharing of data and management responsibilities are essential to avoiding stock collapse.
• There are already a number of related initiatives underway in the region.

It is hereby agreed that participating countries will develop a long-term programme that will

• Develop a national position towards this project, including administrative and legal mechanisms
• Forge close collaboration and partnerships between fishery, academic and other relevant institutions of participating countries
• Generate baseline information on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of resources and fishing effort in the defined study region.
• Investigate the relationship between fisheries and the environment.
• Contribute to the effective human and institutional capacity building to assist in the long-term management of resources.
• Develop a common resource management strategy, including an ecosystem approach, which will guarantee sustainable use of the region’s living marine resources.
• Adopt harmonized legislation that will facilitate regional management.
• Develop fishery-linked revenue-generating schemes that will underpin the long-term management of resources.

So that

• Adequate capacity and institutional frameworks exist that will regionally ensure that the living marine resources of the WIO can be sustainably used with associated socio-economic benefits accruing to the participating countries of the region.