A sixteen-country mobilization for sustainable fisheries in the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem

The Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME) extending from Bissagos Island (Guinea Bissau) in the north to Cabinda (Angola) in the south defines the shared transboundary waters off the coast of western Africa, which embodies some of the major coastal upwelling sub-ecosystems of the world and is an important centre of marine biodiversity and marine food production. The GCLME is characterized by distinctive bathymetry, hydrography, chemistry, and trophodynamics and represents the number 28 Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) ranked among the most productive coastal and offshore waters in the world with rich fishery resources. However, over-exploitation of fisheries, pollution from domestic and industry sources, habitat destruction and poorly planned and managed coastal developments and near-shore activities are resulting in a rapid depletion of the rich fisheries resources and degradation of vulnerable coastal and offshore habitats putting the economies, productivity and health of the populace at risk. Recognizing the urgency of the fisheries decline and the environmental and socio-economic consequences for the region, the 16 countries bordering the ecosystem have mobilized complementary resources to the funding from the Global Environment Facility and United Nations Industrial Development Organization to implement priority management actions agreed in the preliminary Strategic Action Programme for the recovery of depleted fish stocks and restoration of degraded habitats for the advancement of the achievement of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Johannesburg Plan of Implementation targets for recovery of fish stocks.