Guidance

Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) Programme: year 1 projects in the Indian Ocean

Information on CME Programme outputs providing marine data and capacity building in the Indian Ocean.

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK Hydrographic Office and Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
• Published: 17 November 2016

Documents

CME programme

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Details

The Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) Programme aims to support the sustainable growth of Commonwealth Small Island Developing States (SIDS) within the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

Hydrographic action plans and marine environmental action plans will be developed for beneficiary countries in the Indian Ocean. These plans will provide an analysis of the environmental, scientific and sustainability priorities of each state, and will assess the existing local capacity to manage their marine environment.

These plans will be developed in conjunction with local government, ensuring their commitment to use the findings in future national economic development planning.

In addition to developing these plans, the programme will conduct a series of pilot projects in the Seychelles that will provide much-needed support to a variety of marine sectors, and will demonstrate capacity benefits that can be delivered elsewhere in future years. Specific activities include:

1. Installation of autonomous marine sensors that will continuously monitor the impacts of climate change and pollution in the marine environment. This will include training in how to maintain the sensors and how to interpret the water chemistry data. The Seychelles’ government will be able to use these capabilities and data to help protect fish stocks and the ecosystems on which their fisheries and aquaculture depend.

2. Characterisation of the drivers and ecosystem impacts of harmful algal blooms in the region, including provision of the capacity to monitor changes in phytoplankton communities at local and regional scales and identify key species. This will enable the Seychelles’ government to take action to inform the public, protect fish stocks and marine ecosystems that support fisheries, tourism and aquaculture.

3. Development of a socio-economic framework for the Seychelles government’s Blue Bond proposal. This will underpin the existing evidence base, providing guidance and advice for issuing the Blue Bonds and providing assurance for potential Blue Bond investors.

4. Provision of training and support in data management techniques and infrastructure. This will support the National Institute for Science, Technology and Innovation who are in the processes of establishing an integrated science technology and innovation management governance system that includes a national repository of marine scientific data.

Published 17 November 2016