RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS:

Countries around the world are concerned with the degraded condition of coastal ecosystems. 126 countries in Asia, Africa, eastern Europe, and Latin America have made ministerial-level commitments to ecosystem-based assessment and management practices in support of Chapter 17 of Agenda 21, UNCED (1992) with the initiation of LME projects and proposal preparations to improve global coastal health, reduce pollution, and restore depleted biomass yields in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. A complete listing of these countries is available on the LME website, or from the LME Program Office.


Projects are based on the 5-module LME assessment and management methodology:
Productivity
Fish and fisheries
Pollution and ecosystem health
Socioeconomics
Governance

Institutions and organizations involved in this global effort include:
Global Environment Facility
The World Bank
UNDP  - United Nations Development Programme
UNEP  -  United Nations Environment Programme
UNIDO  - United Nations Industrial Development Organization
FAO  -  Food and Agriculture Organization
IOC  -  Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
IUCN - The World Conservation Union 
NOAA  - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY UPDATE:

Progress reports from GEF-sponsored LME projects are now in preparation for presentation at international conferences scheduled for 2004, and 2005 as part of UNCED + 10, WSSD, and beyond. (UNCED information is available at http://www.unep.org/unep/partners/un/unced/home.htm)
 
A table showing the projects, participating countries, and their funding status is available from the LME Program Office. Information on the GEF-sponsored projects can be found at NOAA's LME Projects website.

PROJECT UPDATES:

Guinea Current LME project - The pilot phase of the GEF-supported Gulf of Guinea project, involving 6 west African countries, has been completed. The 2nd phase of funding has begun with a GEF LME project for the Humboldt Current LME Project has received GEF PDF Block B funding.

The Agulhas Current and Somali Coastal Current LME's received Block B funding for joint activities.

The Caribbean Sea LME Project is in preparation.

Symposia and Workshops:

The IOC of UNESCO convenes and hosts annual Consultative Meetings on LMEs. The 4th Consultative Committee Meeting Report (January 2002) can be found at http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/iocpub/iocdoc/ggelme04.doc . The 5th Consultative Committeee Meeting on LMEs was convened on 3-4 March 2003, and the report is now available.

The Benguela Current LME - BENEFIT Programme Annual Review was held March 31-April 4, 2003 in Swakopmund, Namibia.

A workshop on "Industrial Fisheries, Food Security, and Sustainability of Large Marine Ecosystems" was held in Vienna, Austria on August 26-27, 2003.

To notify us of upcoming events or other news, please e-mail the LME Program Office