African nations are increasingly realising the need to diversify beyond land-based activities and build their countries’ relationship with the sea
As fisheries and aquaculture are transforming the African economy, more needs to be done to mitigate the impacts of climate change and illegal fishing on oceans and coastal communities.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General (DG) José Graziano da Silva highlighted this point at the African Ministerial Conference on Ocean Economies and Climate Change in Mauritius on Thursday.
“Healthy and productive oceans are critical for combating rural poverty, ensuring food security, improving nutrition and achieving Zero Hunger,” he said.
Climate change an ocean issue
African nations are increasingly realising the need to diversify beyond land-based activities and build their countries’ relationships with the sea, the FAO DG said.
“Coastal communities are already being affected by a combination of ocean warming, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, salt-water intrusions, ocean acidification and subsequent changes to the resources they depend on for food and livelihoods,” Graziano da Silva added.
Climate change is not the only challenge staring at coastal nations. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing puts additional stress on oceans and marine resources, siphoning off billions worldwide in government revenue in the process.
Good news is that global fish production has grown steadily in the past five decades, even outpacing world population growth. Between the 1960s and 2012, the average per capita fish consumption almost doubled, rising from just under 10 kg to more than 19 kg.
But the blue economy runs on more than just fish. In all, global ocean economic activity is estimated at $ 3-5 trillion. Ninety per cent of global trade moves by marine transport and over 30 per cent of global oil and gas is extracted offshore.
“The goal of the international community should be not only building a sustainable green economy, but also a blue one,” the DG said.
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