Today the African Day of Seas and Oceans and the launching of the 2015-2025 Decade of African Seas and Oceans are being celebrated.
Africa has a combined coastline of over 47,000 km, and with that a vast ocean resource and potential new economic frontier. However, it is under threat and in decline, writes Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili. She is a member of the Global Ocean Commission, an independent high-level initiative aiming to restore the high seas, the international parts of the global ocean, to ecological health and sustainable productivity. She is a former Nigerian Education Minister, a former Vice President of the World Bank for Africa and a co-founder of Transparency International.
In her statement she emphasised these important points:
Africa has an opportunity to lead on ocean issues at the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the AU on Maritime Security and Development, being held in Togo in November.
Strong, concrete commitments to action for the next decade to implement the Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIM) must be reached. This is particularly vital as negotiations will begin at the UN in 2016 to develop a new treaty for conserving the ocean beyond national jurisdictions, the outcome of which will have major implications for African fisheries and other marine assets in the future.
Africa will need to stand up as one to counter those who would rather leave the high seas open to the anarchic race to the bottom that is currently driving ocean decline and inequity.
Read her full statement with this web link:
http://www.theafricareport.com/North-Africa/african-ocean-and-coasts-our-heritage-our-life-our-destiny.html
Swakopmund Matters (For Swakopmund Matters the environment of the Namibian coastline and its ocean matters)
