Namibia, Angola, South Africa sign marine agreement

Namibia, Angola and South Africa have agreed to a US $38.7 million initiative to develop a plan to manage the ecosystems that swirl along the three countries' coastlines, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced on Wednesday.

The agreement will focus on the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) which runs parallel to the coastline of Namibia, from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa up to northern Angola.

The ecosystem is regarded as an important centre of marine biodiversity and marine food production. It also plays a critical role in the global climate system.

The agreement will execute priorities endorsed in a strategic action programme agreed to in 1999. The three countries will work towards establishing the Benguela Regional Commission, harmonising policy and joint management plans, and researching the causes and impacts of environmental variability.

They will also manage programmes to protect the area from harmful algal blooms, oil spills and habitat disturbances.

Current threats to the marine ecosystem include habitat loss and pollution, increasing exploitation of fish stocks, and the introduction of invasive species, including algae, from ship ballast water.

The region is also rich in mineral and petroleum deposits. Oil and gas exploration, production and mining need to be undertaken in an environmentally safe way to minimise pollution threats, the UNDP said in a statement.

"The trans-boundary nature of these real and potential threats means that regional co-operation will be essential to their mitigation and protection," the statement said.

The fishing industry accounts for 10 percent of the gross domestic product in Namibia, four percent in Angola, and 0.4 percent in South Africa.