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On the road to implementing an ecosystem approach to the management of Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem by Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
Ecosystem Advisory Committee
One of the core structures of BCC is the Ecosystem Advisory Committee. The role of the Ecosystem Advisory Committee is a) to support decision-making by the Management Board, the Ministerial Conference and the Contracting States by providing them with the best available scientific, management, legal and other information, and expert advice concerning the conservation and ecologically sustainable use and development of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem and b) to build capacity within the Contracting States to generate and provide the information and expert advice referred to in (a) on a sustainable basis. The EAC is operated mainly through regional Joint Working Groups (JWGs). These groups are the vehicle for cooperation between the scientists, managers, employed by government institutions in providing inputs to the BCC. Their functions are to manage various programmes of activities that provide data from both national and transboundary sources as input to annual State of the Stocks reports, and to feed information into the State of the Ecosystem Information System (SEIS) of the BCC. The composition of these working groups will be decided by the government institutions who will nominate staff members. Non-governmental experts are often included as ad-hoc advisors when required.
BCC has adopted the following four JWGs:
Marine Living Resources JWG (RJWG) – a committee of scientists representing the respective national demersal, pelagic and benthic fisheries and environmental working groups. The terms of reference include the integration of national and transboundary stock assessments, the facilitation and coordination of transboundary surveys and the development of an ecosystem approach to the fisheries (EAF). This also includes interaction at the Angola Front area and the Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME). Additionally the MLRJWG also coordinate and contribute toward annual State of Environment (SOE) & State of Stocks (SOS) reports.
Water Quality & Pollution JWG (WQP-JWG) - a committee of scientists representing the respective national institutions responsible for the monitoring and management of water quality and pollution. The terms of reference include the co-ordination of pollution monitoring activities in the region (from land-based sources, mining, petroleum and transport), transboundary contingency planning and the setting up and co-ordination of a regional pollution monitoring system. Additionally the WQPJWG coordinate and contribute toward the (bi)-annual SOE report.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health JWG (BEH-JWG) - a committee of scientists representing the respective national institutions responsible for the monitoring and management of ecosystem heath and conservation. The mandate would be to implement a system of ecosystem health indices (e.g. top predators) to be monitored and to complete the conservation plan for the region. Mutual assistance and exchange of information w.r.t conservation management will also be provided. Additionally the BEH-JWG would need to coordinate and contribute toward (bi)-annual SOE and SOS reports.
Oceanographic and Coastal Monitoring (and climate change impacts) (OCM-JWG) - a committee of scientists representing the respective national institutions responsible for the monitoring and management of environmental variability and climate change. Their functions include coordination and mutually support national activities in respect of in situ monitoring and remote sensing of the coastal and oceanic environment, including long-term changes. The OCM-JWG would be responsible for ensuring the supply of oceanographic and climate change data to the SEIS and would coordinate and contribute toward (bi)-annual SOE and SOS reports.
Note that the EAF research activities are integrated in all the joint working groups.
The first meeting of the EAC was held on 17-18 November 2008 in Luanda, Angola [click here to see the Report].
EAC BCC Projects under implementation 2009 to 2012
EAC Report of 2nd Meeting of EAC March 2009
