LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS (LME): INDIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT APPROACH) EAS Conference on Maritime Security and Cooperation Dr. Kishore Kumar Secretary & Consultant Centre for Ocean & Environmental Studies, New Delhi
The Concept 1. Coastal Regions of the oceans produce over 95% of world fisheries. 2. Also suffer pollution, over exploitation and habitat degradation. 3. NOAA developed LME Concept over 30 years ago as a model to assess, manage, recover and sustain resources and environment. 4. Provides S&T expertise in Fisheries, Climate Studies and Ocean Observations. 5. GEF also joined in to fund several trans-boundary projects.
The Area 1. Entire expanse of ocean and coastal space extending out to: a) Seaward boundary of continental shelves b) Seaward margins of coastal current systems. 2. They encompass: a) River Basins and Estuaries (Wetlands) b) Coastal Habitats: Mangroves Coral Reefs, Sea Grasses, etc. 3. They provide: b) Food and shelter to various organisms c) Protection against erosions & disasters
Characteristics Extensive areas of ocean space to the order of 2,00,000 Sq. km. or more, characterised by distinct: a) Bathymetry (depth) b) Hydrographic Regimes (surveying and charting of water bodies) c) Submarine topography d) Productivity e) Trophically (nutritionally) dependent population
Services Richest area in terms of biodiversity that provide services to humankind: a) Fishery/Aquaculture b) Hydrocarbons c) Minerals d) Marine Transport (including oil tankers) e) Coastal Tourism (especially Islands) f) Evolution of coastal megacities
Evolution Underlying concept: Ethics of Conservation 1. UNCLOS III urged nations to adopt standards and principles to protect marine environment through competent international organisations like IMO. 2. Some developing States (India, Egypt, Iran & Nigeria) contended that coastal states, not flag states, should have prime responsibility for protection against vessel source pollution (self-protection): national standards, not that of IMO. 3. This brought the focus on land based sources of pollution of coastal zone.
Global Initiative 1. Coastal states urging to international bodies to halt and reverse the deteriorating conditions of their coastal zone: a) The IUCN & NOAA joined in an action programme on planning & implementing an ecosystem based strategy focused on LMEs. b) In a complementary exercise, the IOC (UNESCO), and its partners, the WMO, the UNEP worked through the coastal modules of the GOOS to develop ecosystem monitoring/forecasting methods. 2. Coastal States approached the GEF and its implementing agencies (UNDP, UNEP and World Bank) and executing agency (UNIDO) for assistance to restore/protect their coastal/marine ecosystem
3. GEF provided assistance for two principal processes: a) Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA ) — establishing priorities across national boundaries. b) Strategic Action Plan (SAP) — jointly determine policy/legal/institutional reforms, and investments needed to address the priorities. 4. Concept of adaptive management for ecosystem as a whole not isolated sectors.
Bay of Bengal LME 1. Follow up of UNCED (1992) declaration on preserving coastal zone (Chapter 17, Agenda 21) 2. Initiation of Benguella, Yellow Sea, Baltic and Guinea Current LME projects. 3. 30 countries in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe made ministerial level commitments to ecosystem based assessment/management practices. 4. 120 countries in several regions from the Caribbeans and Gulf of Mexico, through Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, to the BOB and South China Sea, took to operationalise the ecosystem approach.
5. The increasing interest in marine ecosystem management stemmed from over exploitation of world fisheries and its management in a holistic manner. 6. In mid-1980s, Kenneth Sherman (NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Service) and Lewis Alexander (Univ. of Rhode Island) pioneered the LME concept — Overexploitation and pollution (from air, land and water) influence the productivity of the ecosystem.
7. Even before these, BOB had a number of programmes on coastal environment including domestic legislations by nations: a) India, — OPS (1982), MRZ (1976), CRZ (1991), CPCB and SPCB for land-based pollutants, ICMAM and COMPAS (MoES) for monitoring critical habitats and effects of anthropogenic activities. b) Other countries like Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc. have developed their own ICZM programmes, with assistance from UNEP, World Bank, ASEAN-USAID, WWF, DANIDA, etc. c) UNEP’s Regional Sea Programme — 18 marine regions and 140 coastal states and territories — protocols signed/ratified on pollution from land-based sources, ocean dumping and oil spill. d) Programmes like IOFC, IOTC, BOBP-IGD, BIMST-EC, UN ESCAP, SACEP and IOMAC.
Ecosystem Approach 1. Beyond individual sectors and political boundaries — harvest decisions not to base on single species, but recognising interactions among species and competitive relationships (even on predator-prey level). 2. It provided basis of cooperation among countries sharing boundaries — Angola, Namibia and South Africa agreed to jointly study the Benguella Current LME. 3. BOB LME Has eight members — their management methodology rests around productivity, pollution, socio-economics and governance.
4. BOB features:- a) Tropical climate — monsoon and cyclones b) Ecosystem role in productivity c) Coastal areas as nursery ground d) Changing environment influence productivity and pollution. e) Large population depends on coastal resources. f) A number of international, regional and sub-regional institutions with similar/overlapping mandates.
Coastal Ecosystem Critical Factors 1. Human population (Coastal megacities) — proves one of the biggest threats to the environment — consumption and pollution. 2. Coastal erosion — during June to September heavy surf and strong wave action. 3. Growth of industrial/commercial activities — resultant waste disposal (toxic substances) enter food chain. Shipping and transport development have release of garbage/ballast water, emissions, anti-fouling paint, etc.
4. Unsustainable fisheries:- a) Tuna fishing in the Maldives, Malaysia, Thailand’s Andaman cost and Sri Lanka. b) Heavy commercial fishing through open access and unauthorised incursions by foreign trawlers. c) Conflicts between artisanal and commercial fishermen. d) Pollution: mangroves, coral reefs and estuaries. e) Coastal aquaculture f) Lack of appropriate policies/strategies for sustainable fishery management. g) Destruction by storm surges and tropical cyclones.
Conclusions 1. LME’s adopt integrated and holistic approach covering both environmental and socio-economic dimensions. 2. Scale of operation and level of management may vary with respect to geographical scale, but the objective is the same, I.e. addressing cross-cutting environmental and sustainable development issues. 3. To date, BOB LME Projects are at the level of studies and projects, focusing on exploration/planning; but the real task is to move them to actual implementation. 4. Pilot projects on estuaries and small areas of the coast should be scaled up to national and regional level efforts.
Thank You
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