Month: March 2021

Marine Biological Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction

The STRONG High Seas Project and its partners are pleased to announce the launch of a new website designed to provide information about Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ), including the conservation and sustainable use of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), with an emphasis on the Abidjan Convention Region:http://highseas-abidjanconvention.org/. The user-friendly site is a first stop for anyone wanting to learn more about marine biodiversity in ABNJ, the pressures it faces and the development under the UN of a new treaty on BBNJ. There are links to key publications, events andother websites that are of interest to the Southeast Atlantic.Short fact sheets provide bite-size summaries of key BBNJ issues. Some of the key themes covered on the website include:

The website is currently in English, please bear with us as we are busy developing a French and Portuguese version.

First Online Course in Ocean Governance wrapping up

The decision to move the Course in Ocean Governance to online was not taken lightly, but after delaying the 2020 training that was scheduled for September, and the continuing uncertainty around Covid-19, it was the pragmatic decision. The training started on the 22nd Feb and finished Friday, the 19th March.

The Course ScheduleDownload

The online format has opened up opportunities to engage with experts from 12 different countries and include our IOI partners from Egypt, Malta, Nigeria and Kenya. It allowed for innovative ways to approach learning, with a strong focus on peer-to-peer learning, discussion and group exercises. The participants, from 11 countries in Africa, and a broad range of professional backgrounds, stepped up to the challenge of engaging effectively online, with lively discussions taking place through the weeks. While we couldn’t take the participants to the field, we did create a short video on Estuary Management, to introduce our participants to governance in action, using Zandvlei Estuary in Cape Town as a case study.

To find out more about the Course in Ocean Governance click here. The next training is schedule for September 2021.