Background and Context Vision Project Development Structure Implementation       Components Cruise Plan

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.
  

• 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.
  

• 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.