18 March 2013 - Government
Ministers from South Africa, Angola, and
Namibia today, March 18, signed a groundbreaking
environmental treaty the Benguela Current
Convention in Benguela, Angola.
The Benguela Current
Convention is a formal agreement between
the three governments that seeks to promote
a coordinated regional approach to the long-term
conservation, protection, rehabilitation,
enhancement and sustainable use of the Benguela
Current Large Marine Ecosystem, to provide
economic, environmental and social benefits.
The Benguela Current
also defines the boundaries of the Benguela
Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME),
an area of ocean space stretching from Port
Elizabeth in South Africa to the province
of Cabinda in the north of Angola. The BCLME
is regarded as one of the richest ecosystems
on earth, with ecosystem goods and services
estimated to be worth at least US$ 54,3
billion per year. Offshore oil and gas production,
marine diamond mining, coastal tourism,
commercial fishing and shipping are some
of the most important industrial activities
that take place in the region.
By signing the Benguela
Current Convention, Angola, Namibia and
South Africa will agree to manage the BCLME
in a cooperative and sustainable way for
the benefit of coastal people who depend
on the ecosystem for food, work and their
well-being.
The Convention will
also establish the Benguela Current Commission
in existence since 2007 as a permanent
inter-governmental organisation with a mandate
to promote the long-term conservation, protection,
rehabilitation, enhancement and sustainable
use of the BCLME. By working through the
Commission, the governments of the three
countries will strive to ensure that industrial
development progresses in an environmentally
responsible manner and that they work together
to minimise pollution, harmonise maritime
policies, laws and regulations, and monitor
and manage fisheries in a cooperative way.
At the heart of the
Convention is the concept of the ecosystem
approach: a long-term approach that aims
to maintain ecosystem goods and services
for sustainable use, while recognising that
humans are an integral part of the process.
The historic signing
of the Benguela Current Convention represents
the culmination of many years of research,
consultation and negotiation, all of which
have been carried out in a spirit of trust
and cooperation, said Minister of Water
and Environmental Affairs, Mrs BEE Molewa,
the outgoing Chairperson of the BCC.
The signing of this
unique multilateral agreement is the next
logical step after nearly two decades of
collaboration between South Africa, Namibia
and Angola.
