Indian Ocean Commission - Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region
on the world map
___________________
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Table of content
Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................3
The Indian Ocean Commission: presentation ....................................................................................................4
EU-IOC: an historic partnership ........................................................................................................................4
Member States ....................................................................................................................................................5
Specificities of Island States ..............................................................................................................................7
Regional integration ...........................................................................................................................................8
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map ........................................................................................10
Operating a regional maritime service .........................................................................................................10
Towards a new regional air strategy ............................................................................................................12
Digital connectivity ......................................................................................................................................14
Food security ................................................................................................................................................16
Projects in progress ..........................................................................................................................................17
Monitor and Control Fishing Activities .......................................................................................................17
SmartFish .....................................................................................................................................................19
ISLANDS .....................................................................................................................................................21
Biodiversity ..................................................................................................................................................24
Renewable energies ......................................................................................................................................25
2
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Foreword
“Connectivity is the prerequisite for the full expression of
our economic and human potential”
G
lobalisation and international financial, energetic, food
and climate crisis lead the Island States of the
Indianoceanic region to increase their efforts to maintain
control on their future. This unpredictable global environment
constitutes a major constraint and it requires our island States to
be ambitious. This is the course that has set the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), which
continues to pursue its mission thanks to the support of its Member States and the
international donor community
On this purpose, the IOC is focusing on regional integration. This process aims to allow our
member countries - Comoros, France / Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles, to
facilitate their integration into the global economy through exploiting their complementarities,
pooling resources together, transferring knowledge and technologies. Our objective is to
reach autonomy and competitiveness to create the conditions for sustainable growth for the
Indianoceanic region.
Therefore, I have made the issue of connectivity in our region one of the priorities of my
mandate. Without an appropriate and efficient connectivity, the integration of our insular
region will remain a hollow concept. Connecting our islands among themselves and to the
wider world – through sea, air, digital connection - is prerequisite for the full expression of
our economic and human potential.
This booklet presents a new generation of projects that the IOC has initiated and will induce a
positive ripple effect on the driving sectors of our economies. The inter-island transport is far
too expensive, limited and uncertain. Consequently, the mobility of our human forces and the
regional trade are threatened. At the IOC, we are convinced that the current regional
connectivity represents a net loss for our economies.
The support of the European Union to this first phase of mobilisation of all stakeholders
necessary for the concretisation of these projects relating to connectivity, is an illustration of
its renewed appreciation and trust in our organisation.
Our on-going projects are also presented to meet our demand for results. We rely on the
reaffirmed support of all our donors for the implementation of this new generation of projects
that expresses our ambition: To place the Indianoceanic region on the world map.
Jean Claude de l’Estrac
Secretary General
3
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
The Indian Ocean Commission: presentation
The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) is an intergovernmental organisation that was created
in 1982 at Port-Louis, Mauritius, and institutionalised in 1984 by the Victoria Agreement in
Seychelles. IOC is comprised of five countries in the Western Indian Ocean, namely: Union
of Comoros, France/Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles.
Since its creation 30 years ago, the Mauritius based organisation decided to focus on four
major areas of intervention: (i) diplomacy and political cooperation, (ii) economy and trade,
(iii) environment and sustainable management of natural resources and (iv) human
development. Since the beginning of the millennium, the IOC became more focussed on the
promotion and defence of Small Islands Developing States’ issues and interests and regional
economic integration.
The current Secretary General is Jean Claude de l’Estrac, a Mauritian citizen and co-founder
of the organisation. He was appointed in July 2012 for a non-renewable four year mandate.
The 2013 President of the IOC’s
Council of Ministers is His Excellency
El-Anrif Said Hassane, Minister of
External Relations and Cooperation of
Union of Comoros.
EU-IOC: an historic
partnership
The European Union (EU) is the
1 The IOC Secretariat at Ebene, Mauritius, provided by the Mauritian Government
leading technical and financial partner
of the IOC. This close collaboration to the benefit of sustainable and inclusive development of
the Indianoceanic region takes into account the specificities of the ocean and island
geography of the region and is a complement to the European support to SADC and COMESA.
The EU contribution to the actions of the IOC cannot be limited to its financing representing
over 65% of the resources allocated to projects and programs of the IOC. Indeed, the EU
supports the IOC in strengthening its institutional capacity and in the formulation of major
projects in accordance with the objectives of the EU Agenda for Change.
4
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Member States
The IOC is composed of five island countries, of which four are ACP States also members of
COMESA and/or SADC (Union of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles) and one
European Union’s outermost region, Reunion.
The diversity of socio-economic profiles in the region offers a wide range of opportunities for
the regional integration, in particular through the facilitation and the increase of regional
trade.
Tableau 1: IOC Members States in figures
Union of France / Réunion Madagascar Mauritius Seychelles
Comoros
Population 737 824 833 500 22 585 517 1 313 095 90 024
Life expectancy
61,5 78 66,9 73,5 73,8
(in years, 2012)
Human
development
index (rank out 169 20 151 80 46
of 187 countries,
2012)
Population under
the age of 15yo
41,6 25,2 43,1 21,8 21,9%
(% of
population)
Gross national
income per
capita (PPP
1 230 23 660 (2010) 950 15 820 25 760
current
international $,
2012)
Real growth rate
(% of GDP, 3 1,2 (2011) 3,1 3,2 2,9
2012)
Unemployement
rate (% of
14 29,5 3,8 7,9 2
labour force,
2011)
Internet
penetration rate 3,3 nc 1,41 36 35,55
(%)
Main economic Construction and Cane
Textile,
activities/sectors Vanilla, civil engineering, industry,
tourism,
cloves, ylang- commerce, textile, Tourism,
Fishery
ylang, sugar, tourism, tourism, fisheries
products,
fisheries renewable financial
mining
energies, ICT services
Sources: World Bank, United Nations Programme for Development, National Statistics Offices
5
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Reunion: Europe’s active border in ESA-IO
Region
Reunion, French overseas Region, is an IOC
Member since 1986. Since then, Reunion’s local
authorities have shown their interest in the
regional integration process. Thanks to its
geographic situation and its specific status in the
region, Reunion promotes itself as an « active Figure 2: Town Council of St Denis, Reunion
border » of European Union in Eastern and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean (ESA-IO).
Therefore, the island strategic development is strongly linked to its international openness
and exposure, firstly in the Indianoceanic region.
To be part of the regionalisation process, and with the support of the EU and France, Reunion
benefits from legal and institutional arrangements which recognize its specificity and facilitate
its regional action.
Article 299§2 of the Treaty of Amsterdam asserts the outermost region status, and at the
national level, the Framework Act on overseas’ France had extended the scope of intervention
in international matters to the Regional Council, the local authority of Reunion.
In this context, Reunion can play an active role in the IOC’s projects implementation and can
mobilise its expertise in a wide range of area of intervention such as renewable energy,
Research and Development, Information and Communication Technologies.
According to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), notably the regional
policy objective of European Territorial Cooperation , Reunion, as an outermost
European region, is led to seek for cohesion between its development policy and a
deeper economic regional integration. Consequently, both Reunion and other IOC’s
ACP Member States cooperate to design together projects towards an efficient
coordination between the use of ERDF and EDF in the IOC’s area.
6
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Specificities of Island States
At the IOC level…
IOC is the vehicle for collective action for its island Member States to meet the challenges
and opportunities of sustainable development in the Indianoceanic region. As part of its
actions, the IOC therefore meets the principles of solidarity, subsidiarity and
complementarity. All this establishes the purpose of the IOC which defends the interests of its
island Member States by promoting sustainable and inclusive development.
The value-addition of the IOC is that the organisation offers an intermediate framework to
face the challenges of its Member States. This intermediate scope of action is a complement
to the initiatives of its Member Countries at a
national level, and those at a larger scale with
broader African Regional Organisations
(COMESA, SADC), with continental institutions
(African Union), and with multilateral
organisations (United Nations, World Trade
Organisation…). Therefore, IOC can promote
and defend island specificities of its Member
States in regional and international fora and
institutions.
Figure 3: the Indianoceanic region at the crossroad of two major
growing areas, Africa and Asia.
At the EU level…
The specificities of ACP Island States, i.e. the four ACP States of the IOC, and « the need for
specific provisions and measures » to facilitate the economic regional integration process, are
clearly recognised by the European Union in the Cotonou Agreements (Articles 2, 32, 35, 56,
84.1 and 89.1).
At international level…
During the United Nations’ first conference on Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) held in
Barbados in 1994, the specificity and the vulnerability of SIDS toward globalisation and
climate change was officially recognized. This international Conference was in line with the
Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, which was a landmark event that saw
« a global consensus and political commitment at the highest level of cooperation in the fields
of development and environment ». International recognition of Island States’ specificities is
7
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
closely related to general awareness about the harmful effect of an all-round development
and the willingness to reconcile economy and ecology.
In this context, the Mauritius Strategy was adopted in 2005 during the second UN Conference
on SIDS in order to facilitate the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for
Sustainable Development of SIDS. The third UN Conference on SIDS in Samoa in September
2014 will offer the occasion to assess the progress done since Barbados and Mauritius
Conferences, to renew the political commitment on SIDS and to identify priorities for the
sustainable development of SIDS to be integrated into the post-2015 UN Agenda for
Development.
Regional integration
The mission of the IOC is based on two complementary objectives: firstly, the development of
the Indianoceanic region, and secondly, the strengthening of its Members States’ external
relations, particularly with the regional organisations of Eastern and Southern Africa.
IOC pursues a mission of regional integration at two levels:
- First, IOC's mission is to build an inclusive region of sustainable growth. To do so, the IOC
led projects related to economy and trade, environment, disaster risk management and
adaptation to climate change, mobility and connectivity, health and culture.
- Second, the mission of the IOC is the integration of the Indianoceanic region to the larger
growing region of Eastern and Southern Africa, and to promote the strengthening of relations
with other island regions that face the same challenges. In addition, the IOC is the focal point
for multilateral institutions and development partners.
At regional level, COMESA, East African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) and IOC decided, under the 9th EDF, to create in 2002 an Interregional
Coordination Committee (IRCC) to adopt a coherent and effective approach towards the EU
partnership and to coordinate the programming process under the European Development
Fund for ESA-IO region. This strategy has enabled the development of synergies between the
different regional organisations of ESA-IO for the efficient use of financial resources allocated
under the EDF.
The positive results of this coordination mechanism led the States of the ESA-IO to mandate
their regional organizations, under the aegis of IRCC, to continue this regional cooperation
within the framework of the 10th EDF programming and the on-going 11th programming. This
new coordination exercise was based on the assessments and recommendations of the 9th
8
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
EDF and took into account the contextual changes associated with Economic Partnership
Agreements negotiations and the Busan Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2011.
IOC, as IGAD, remains committed to its Member States that require specific attention. That is
why the organisation put a priority to the protection of island interests, sustainable
management of natural resources, especially marine and coastal, and most recently,
connectivity due to the ocean geography of the Indianoceanic region.
IOC and its openness
In the context of the implementation of the 9th EDF, IOC has become responsible of projects
concerning a broader geographical area than the Indianoceanic region. In fact, IOC is
« open » to the ESA region (« open IOC » concept). This openness offers many advantages,
i.e. densification of external partnerships in accordance with its regional integration mission,
access to new financing mechanism, ability to address broader issues and to share its
expertise in the field of natural resources management. To benefit from all these advantages,
IOC is building up its institutional and technical capacities. More open, IOC is able to
strengthen the Indianoceanic countries’ regional presence to ESA while promoting the
specificities of its Member States.
9
Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Small size, remoteness from world’s largest economic and trade centres, contribute to
marginalize the islands of the south-western Indian Ocean. Particularly dependent on
European and American markets, and eager to take advantage of their privileged position
between the poles of growth in Eastern Africa and Asia, the IOC member countries must
agree on how to effectively implement the development priorities adopted by the Council of
Ministers of the IOC.
Connecting our islands among themselves on the one hand, and to the wider world on the
other hand, is the only way to ensure a smart regional integration and sustainable growth. By
putting regional connectivity as a priority, the IOC aims at improving the competitiveness of
its member states and to place the Indianoceanic region on the globalisation’s map.
Operating a regional maritime service
The creation of a regional feeder "Unlike our neighbours in Africa, the opening of our
system is "an essential tool for the
development of regional trade" economies does not pass, necessarily and exclusively,
Maritime Trade & Logistics
Consulting, report commissioned by by terrestrial infrastructure. Our highways are ocean’s
the IOC – AFD funding, 2009
ones. Our stations are our ports. Our vehicles are our
ships. A maritime feeder system in the region is the best way to integrate our island
economies together and connect them to the wider world", said the Secretary General of the
IOC at a workshop on regional maritime services on March 14, 2013. Consequently, the IOC
is formulating a "floating infrastructure project", according to the expression used by the
European Union.
The revision of the regional maritime services requires a comprehensive approach which
takes into consideration modernization of ports, both on infrastructural and procedural
facilitation of regional trade, security of sea lanes, and setting up of an efficient regional
maritime feeder system.
Countries of the Indianoceanic region cannot endure a desertion of the world's leading
maritime operators. Therefore they must agree on the rise of a regional hub. Concentration
trend in the global shipping industry and launch of very large container ships represent risks
of deeper marginalization of the region. A regional transshipment hub should be essential for
the viability the regional maritime feeder system. There is a clear complementarity between
large ships connections that achieve economies of scale and a regional maritime service.
T he IOC promotes the setting up of a regional shipping company, ideally through a public-
private partnership. Operators of regional maritime sector participated in a workshop on this
10Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
subject on 14 and 15 March 2013, resulting in the formulation of terms of reference for the
establishment of such a company.
In this process, COSCO, sixth world maritime carrier, has indicated its interest in the project
of the IOC. A high-level delegation led by the Executive Vice President of the Group, Mr. Sun
Jiakang, met High Representatives of the IOC in June 2013 to initiate discussion on the
project. The Secretary
General of the IOC took
the opportunity of his
participation in the
World Ocean Week 8 to
14 November 2013 for
further discussions with
the Chinese shipping
group.
Figure 4: The port of the Mauritian capital, Port Louis The aim of this
ambitious project is to boost regional trade which is estimated to account for less than 5% of
the total external trade of the countries of the region, particularly by leveraging the potential
of Madagascar in the agricultural sector. In a second step, the project should support the
modernization of ports in the region and ensure the competitiveness of a regional maritime
service.
11Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Towards a new regional air strategy
"Air transport operators
should adopt a community
approach which implies that
states renounce in part to the
prestige that a company with
the name of the country can
make"
Performance Management
Consulting, Dakar, April 2011
IOC has prepared a strategic document to the attention of decision makers which
demonstrates the need to review regional air connectivity and which also illustrates the real
and sustainable benefits for all our member States of a collective approach. This document
has been edited following the international symposium organised by the IOC May 2, 2013 in
Mauritius.
IOC and operators, both from the tourism and aviation sectors, share the same view
concerning the global weakness of the to-date air strategy. The fragmentation of the regional
air transport sector and of tourism markets affect regional competitiveness, in particular the
tourism industry one of the economic pillars of the member countries of the IOC. National
strategies for air service cannot rely on the interests of airlines. This model had showed its
limits.
Globally, major airlines are all reviewing their strategy and business model by streamlining
activities through strategic partnerships or merging. The merger between American Airlines
and U.S. Airways in February 2013 or the partnership between Emirates and Qantas in April
2013 are prime examples. This consolidation will continue and it is even necessary, agree
experts in the aviation sector. The countries of the region cannot ignore this trend under
threat of obsolescence.
Of the one billion tourists recorded at the end of 2012 more than half travelled by air. But the
Indianoceanic region has attracted only 2 million travelers. Forecasts of the World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO) expect a global growth of passenger flow from 3% to 4% in 2013.
12Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Nevertheless, the countries of the region face competition both at international and regional
level.
The « Vanilla Islands » concept Therefore, it seems clear that the
To be able to stand up to global competition in the
revision of the regional airline
tourism industry, a concerted and coordinated approach
in the Indianoceanic region is required. To do so, strategy, through a joint strategic
authorities responsible for tourism promotion and
operators created in 2006 a concept supported by the partnership in all regional companies,
IOC: “Vanilla Islands”. It aims at building an identifiable the entry into operation of a regional
label which relies on the original cultural base of the
region, on landscapes diversity and complementarity of low-cost airline, or the merger of the
services provided in each island.
Moreover, through its actions in favour of ecology and four national companies in the region,
sustainable development, including the dissemination of is a prerequisite to the
renewable energy and the protection of biodiversity, the
IOC directly contributes to the consolidation of the competitiveness of the tourism
tourism product of the region, namely the maritime and
coastal environment. industry in the region, in particular of
The value addition of the region is the clear the "Vanilla Islands" concept which
complementarity of its destinations. But, compared to
the Caribbean islands, the Indianoceanic region offers aims at putting the Indianoceanic
high air transport fares for interregional services and
from main international markets. region on the world tourism map. In a
The "Vanilla Islands" concept will bring a real value nutshell, a new regional air strategy
addition to the region only if the regional air transport
strategy is redefined through a concerted approach. is needed to facilitate trade, mobility,
and the connection between the
islands and the wider world
Figure 5: The Biodiversity of
the Indianoceanic region
constitutes the first capital of
its tourism industry. The IOC
conducts projects for the
protection of the unique
resource.
13Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Digital connectivity
IOC held a regional conference on the Information and Communication Technology Industry
(ICT) on 22 and 23 October 2013 in Mauritius. This event, which brought together experts ,
operators, regulators and authorities, helped to lay the guidelines for cooperation between
the member countries of the IOC to exploit the economic and social potential of the ICT and
knowledge industry.
The participants to the IOC conference noted that the most important element to develop a
strong ICT industry is unquestionably the telecommunications’ infrastructure, in particular the
network links interconnecting all the Indian Ocean islands to the global network. As all the
countries count heavily on ICT and regional integration
Digital economy ripple effects
In the 2009 report of the World to grow and integrate their economies, the choice of
Bank on "ICT for development", it
is said that every 10% increase in optical fibre based systems remains a major objective.
broadband Internet connections in
In addition there is a need to improve reliability by
developing countries leads to an
increase of 1.38% of the economic ensuring surplus capacity, and an ability to re-route
growth.
The firm Booz & Company noted in traffic in case of linkage failure. Competition is looked
2010 a direct link with productivity
upon globally as a preferred way forward to promote
at work, on the order of 1.5%, for
a penetration of 10% of the high growth and improvement in the telecom market. It
bandwidth connection.
According to a 2011 study by the was noted however that competition is difficult to
consulting firm McKinsey, for every achieve in small economies with few operators. Certain
job destroyed by the Internet, 2.6
new jobs are created in both the facilities must therefore be shared, like international
ICT sector and in other industries.
cables.
Recently, the World Bank signed a financing
agreement with the Union of the Comoros to connect the country to the Fly- Lion3 cable,
which will be significantly increasing its digital connectivity. Moreover, the BRICS (Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa) have announced the establishment of a high speed
cable (Brics cable) of 34,000 km by 2014 to 2015. This cable is expected to pass through the
Indianoceanic region. This announcement is a reason for hope because it will increase the
digital capacity of the region. Moreover, it will only make it more necessary to improve the
intra-regional digital connectivity in the Indianoceanic region.
But we must go further, in accordance with the expectations of operators and decision-
makers at the conference organised by the IOC in October 2013. The objective is to get every
country in the region at the same level through coordinated efforts to make ICT services
more affordable and accessible to all in order to boost economic growth.
The digital revolution opens an infinite field of opportunities that members of the IOC could
exploit through a coordinated and ambitious approach.
14Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Evolution of digital connectivity in Africa (2009-2013)
15Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Food security
The member states of the IOC import food and agricultural products from faraway countries
at excessive prices: rice from Pakistan, Vietnam and Thailand, dried beans from India and
corn from Latin American. Given the vagaries of world prices for agricultural products and oil,
the import bill of the Indianoceanic regional has globally increased by 20 % between 2006
and 2009. And this trend has continued. However, rice, onions, beans, corn can be produced
in Madagascar, which concentrates 98% of the agricultural area excluding sugar cane fields.
It is due to this fact and to prepare the economic recovery after the return to political stability
in Madagascar that the IOC organised in March 2013, in Mahajanga, a regional conference of
investors to identify the potential of agro-industry in this country and to discuss obstacles and
ways to overcome them (health standards, infrastructure).
By the way, at the
IOC, we are
convinced that
obstacles such as
storage capacity,
exportations facilities
or health standards
Figure 6: The IOC Secretary General with Malagasy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Health, can be resolved.
and High Representatives at the opening ceremony of the Regional Food Security Conference held in
Mahajanga in march 2013. There is the
possibility, in a
relatively short time, to support improvement of the Malagasy agricultural production,
quality, and marketing channels following recognized standards. This requires investing in
human resources, infrastructures, support to farming communities.
IOC has identified three regions with an interesting potential for onion, rice, corn, and beans
productions which may interest other IOC member countries. These regions are Sofia,
Vakinankaratra and Menabe.
To conclude, it is relevant to mention that the IOC project to create a regional maritime
feeder system is complementary to the revitalization of the Malagasy agriculture. This is to
facilitate the flow of agricultural products, reduce transportation costs passed on to consumer
prices, and also reduce significantly the regional carbon footprint.
16Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Projects in progress
Monitor and Control Fishing Activities
“With regards to fisheries, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities are a
major threat to the sustainable management of marine resources. The most obvious impact
of IUU fishing is the often disastrous damage it inflicts on marine biodiversity. IUU fishing
does not only damage the marine environment. It represents the theft of common fisheries
resources and results in considerable losses to those fishermen who do abide by the law. IUU
fishing also has dramatic consequences for coastal communities in developing countries, for
which fish resources may play a major role in food security and poverty alleviation. Coastal
developing countries often lack the means and capacity to manage and control properly the
maritime waters under their jurisdiction. Unscrupulous illegal operators take advantage of
those weaknesses to pursue fishing activities without authorization from the coastal states
and to plunder resources which are vital to local fishermen”
Regional Strategic Paper / Regional Indicative Programme for ESA-IO region 2008-2013, European Commission,
November 2008
Following the commitments of Heads
of States of the Indian Ocean
Commission (IOC) in favour of a
strengthened cooperation for a
regional fisheries monitoring,
adopted at the summit of
Antananarivo July 22, 2005, the
European Union provided technical
assistance to study the contours of
Figure 7: Control of a vessel at sea an operational regional fisheries
control in the maritime areas of IOC Member States. This document has identified the
available resources and assesses regional needs.
On 24 January 2007, the European Commission and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)
have signed a framework partnership. It implements a regional plan for fisheries surveillance
in the South Western Indian Ocean (hereinafter referred to as the Regional Plan or PRSP) that
the five fisheries ministers agreed through a joint statement.
The Regional Fisheries Monitoring Plan was designed to be the main tool for the regional
strategy for fisheries monitoring required by IOC Member States in strengthening cooperation
17Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
between the operational structures, data exchange for the organization of regional joint
patrols fisheries surveillance and fighting illegal fishing.
The Regional Fisheries Monitoring Plan has helped to strengthen national surveillance effort
without substitution, pooling, coordinating and optimizing the use of patrol vessels of IOC
Member States. With the use of new technologies and the sharing of data and information at
regional level the 5 countries members want to fight against illegal fishing (IUU) and
eradicate this scourge from South Western Indian Ocean.
The framework partnership agreement expired on 24 January 2011. Through three specific
agreements, the Regional Fisheries Monitoring Plan has implemented three action plan from
August 2007 to 31 December 2011, which show a strong regional commitment to the fight
against illegal fishing. During this period of 4.5 years, 30 regional joint patrols were organized
and coordinated by a regional group with representatives of the 5 fisheries monitoring centres
gathered in a Regional Coordination Unit (CCR).
Following the mid-term review recommendations of the PRSP adopted by EU and the 5
countries members in October 20th 2011, it appears that the results and the implementation
of the PRSP were very positive for fighting IUU fishing but also in term of regional integration.
In this perspective, the report suggests the continuation of activities beyond the term of the
Framework Partnership Agreement at the condition that they are based on a significant
regional capacity data exchange (especially VMS) mobilising complementary resources of the
European Development Fund (10th EDF) allocated to the monitoring control and surveillance
(MCS) component implemented by IOC Smartfish programme, involving in addition to new
partners as, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Mozambique..
Following the Agreement of Partnership with the DG MARE of the EU, IOC manages a
subvention of 12 million euros for the period 2007-2014 to implement the regional strategy
for the monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries. This programme also benefits from
the political commitment of IOC’s Member States.
Control and surveillance in figures
Les inspections en mer sont particulièrement efficaces car elles permettent de faire des contrôles
inopinés, ciblés sur des navires qui fréquentent peu les ports de la région
Since 2007, IOC has organised and coordinated 35 joint patrols in a 5.5 million km² maritime zone
To date, joint patrols in the region made:
- Nearly 1000 days at sea,
- 400 fishing boats inspected
- 41 penalties for offense
- Arrest of 10 vessels for serious offenses such as illegal shark fishing or fishing without authorisation
18Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
SmartFish Madagascar: sustainable management of
mangroves and crab Scylla serrate valuation
Fish and fishery products are among
the most traded food commodities
worldwide with international trade
worth over US$100 billion per year.
Harvested from lakes, rivers, ponds
and oceans, fish is also one of the
most nutritious foods available. As
Figure 8: Thomas, fisherman in the Boeny region, shows a crab of the mangroves.
well as providing food to millions of
consumers, regional fish trade creates In 2012, SmartFish Program has been asked by the
authorities and the operators of the crab industry in
employment, generates income, and
Madagascar to conduct actions to reduce the mortality
contributes to economic growth and
rate after capture (estimated to 22%) and to support the
development.
value addition of this resource.
Post-harvest losses due to poor conditions of storage
Led by the Indian Ocean Commission and transport and the low added value for crabs remain
(IOC) and co-implemented with Food major obstacles to the realization of the economic
and agricultural Organisation (FAO) in potential of this fishery.
20 countries of the ESA-IO region, the As a result, the production is estimated at 3,500 tons in
5 result areas of the SmartFish 2011, despite a potential that could provide 7,500 tons
programme (Governance, Fisheries annually from the mangroves of Madagascar (325 000
ha, or 20% of African mangrove). Consequently, it is a
Management, Monitoring Control and
loss a revenues throughout the industry, from the local
Surveillance, Fish Trade and Food
communities level to the national level.
Security) are working together in an
To reduce post-catch losses, the SmartFish Programme,
integrated fashion to harmonize and
through its component "food security" implemented by
implement regional trade strategies. FAO, led actions in the fields of awareness and
In partnership with the key partner demonstration of simple and effective methods in several
organizations of COMESA, EAC and localities in the Boeny region. These initiatives focused
IGAD, the work is committed to on storage (construction of cages, storage sheds with
strengthening fisheries as a viable and local materials, appropriate use of water and mud, etc..)
sustainable food supply sector. and transport (enhancement carts, use of funds to avoid
compression crabs, etc..). Identical activities are now
underway in localities of Menabe and Melaky regions
selected jointly with WWF.
19Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Rodrigues: octopus fishing closing period
Specifically under the fish trade component,
and its significant results SmartFish is putting in place mechanisms and
actions that will ensure the trade in fish and
fishery products will benefit fishermen,
processors, traders, consumers and of the
course national economies and food security
needs of the region.
With a focus on the value-chain for particular
fisheries, SmartFish is improving trade and
Figure 9: A fisherman with octopus, Rodrigues 2012
market conditions for fish by implementing
training and well as putting concrete actions
Studies have shown that if nothing was done
to relieve pressure on marine resources, stock on the ground that will enhance trade
of ourites (octopus) in the lagoon of Rodrigues
would have fallen by 80% by 2015. In other performance. These include some of the
words, a part of the economy of the island was
following:
threatened in the short-term, and thus, the
food and financial stability of families, a Capacity building support to beneficiary
lifestyle, and the lagoon ecosystem.
Aware of the issue, the Rodrigues Regional countries in the areas of food safety, fish
Assembly (RRA) has decided to conduct a quality and hygiene as well as improving SPS
seasonal closure of the fishery. With the
support of SmartFish Programme and NGO standards;
collaboration, the RRA has prohibited ourites’
fishing from 13th August to 12th October 2012. Enhancing key trade infrastructure;
At the reopening, the Rodrigues fishermen Developing harmonizing procedures for
unanimously recognized the benefits of this
interim measure: octopuses caught in the the work being carried out at border posts.
lagoon were larger and more numerous with
catch averages between 6 and 15 pounds, and Implementing support programmes for
some exceptional catches up to 24 pounds. At artisanal processors and traders in key
the scale of the island, the production led to a
significant increase of exports to Mauritius technical areas so that they can adhere to
(185 tons of ourites in 2012 against only 71
tons in 2011). In financial terms, this is an
standards and regulations and access higher-
additional gain of about 18 million rupees value markets,
which was earned.
This initial success led to the reissue of the Supporting regional fish trade events to
seasonal closure from August 5 to October 6
promote regionally traded fish products;
this year. This initiative supported by the
Programme SmartFish improves the resilience Developing and disseminating various
of the lagoon ecosystem, fosters economic
development, and also the financial manuals and booklets in various languages to
empowerment of women "piqueuses d’ourites"
support capacity building towards expanded
representing nearly 40% of the fishermen
community in Rodrigues. fish trade in the region
SmartFish is a progamme financed by the EU under the 10th EDF (21 million euros).
20Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
ISLANDS
«Development is not sustainable if it damages the environment, biodiversity and natural resources and
increases the exposure/vulnerability to natural disasters »
Agenda for Change, 3rd Part: Inclusive and sustainable growth for human development, October 2011.
The Mauritius Strategy (MS) was adopted by 129 countries and territories in the global
conference held in Mauritius, January 2005. It
«Re-use Eco-Lab» project :
addresses the unique development problems Women as part of green innovation
of SIDS and sets out the basic principles and
The countries within the Indian Ocean
specific actions required at the national,
region are currently experiencing a fast
regional and international levels to support growing population and consequently waste
sustainable development. It covers various disposal issues and pollution of its rich
environment then becomes a main issue.
economic, social and environment sectors in
Re-use and transformation of waste
20 thematic chapters, and recognizes the need materials into marketable products is a
for building capacity to implement sustainable growing practice that is creating income
generation while keeping environment
development policies. Whilst MS sets out
clean. The “RE-use Eco-Lab” initiative
clearly the strategic objectives, accompanied supported by the IOC-ISLANDS project aims
by well-defined vehicles for accomplishing to empower active and responsible groups
of women passionate about the preservation
change and well-articulated adaptive
of the natural heritage and the promotion of
mechanisms to respond to each of the sustainable development through training
thematic issues delineated in its 20 thematic on producing, promoting and
Chapters, it has shed less light on the tools commercializing via Fair Trade a set of
innovative lines of products though recycling
and mechanisms for its implementation. This
and re-using local disposed non-organic raw
programme seeks to bridge the gaps by: materials.
- providing a coherent process at national
and regional levels towards sustainable development by contextualizing the 20 themes;
- clearly identifying key actions required, the amount of resources required to achieve
the expected results; and
- formulating a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanism for countries to gauge their
performances towards the implementation of MS.
Innovative pillars of the programme are: regional cooperation and integration, SIDS-SIDS
knowledge exchanges, and a methodology to deal with large asymmetries between the
developmental stages of the beneficiary countries.
Among its innovative actions, the IOC, via its ISLANDS project focusing in developing
innovative tools and systems of governance for sustainable development, responded to the
21Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
demand of Mauritius to support the country in developing natural capital accounting with the
Mauritius Central Statistics Office. Indeed, the production of natural capital/ ecosystem
accounts for Mauritius is undertaken in the national context of the implementation of
sustainable policies illustrated by the ‘Maurice Ile Durable’ project and in the international
context in close relation to the 2005 ‘Mauritius Strategy’ for the further Implementation of the
Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States (BpoA).
For such undertaking, Mauritius benefits of a good understanding of sustainable development
issues across its institutions and economic actors as well as of appreciable assets in terms of
data and scientific knowledge, and therefore represents for ISLANDS a good study case for
future replication in the region.
The innovative action dealing with natural accounting is particularly relevant to the region.
Indeed, the stocks and flows of natural capital or ecosystem services are currently not
accounted for in the national accounts of developing countries. This is despite the fact that
the contribution of natural capital to the wealth of nations can be as high as 26% for low-
income countries and 13% for middle-income countries (World Bank, 2006).
In Mauritius, terrestrial and marine natural resources play a huge role in supporting the
economy —providing food, seafood, ecotourism, fuel and biodiversity among others. Forests
and coastal resources are vital for economic growth where sectors such as seafood hub and
tourism tap their sustained growth. Ocean-based activities already contribute some 13% of
GDP and this is expected to rise with on-going initiatives to boost the tourism sector.
It is, therefore, of prime importance to understand the interdependence between the
economy and the environment, to assess the efficiency of natural resource use, the pattern of
economic growth and the contribution of nature and its use in the economy.
Awareness project : Youth in action
ISLANDS project conducts activities to various audiences, including young children in primary schools
in the region.
A School contest has been launched in all partner countries, inviting pupils in their final year of primary
school to tell the story of DILANS the crab, mascot of the project, facing various issues related to
sustainable development during his tour in the Indianoceanic region.
Each country was assigned a specific theme and school teachers have all received a teaching booklet,
designed by regional specialists, in order to broach the subject with their classes and conduct activities
for children to understand the issues.
The topics covered by each island were the following:
Waste management: Comoros
The protection of coral reefs: Réunion
The Disaster Management: Madagascar
Coastal erosion: Mauritius
The water management: Seychelles
Deforestation: Zanzibar
22Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
To reward the work of these children in an original and useful way, ISLANDS publishes the first inter-
island comic. The stories of the winners from each country were indeed put into images by a
professional and this book will be distributed in all the partner schools in the area.
Here is an abstract of the comic, by the Seychelles’ schoolchildren:
23Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
Biodiversity
« The biodiversity in ecosystems therefore not only offers opportunities for sustaining
ecosystems services; developing new trade opportunities; and re-vitalising domesticated
gene pools; but also acts as a food security safety-net, particularly in hard-to-service rural
areas»
Regional Startegic Paper / Regional Indicative Programme for ESA-IO region 2008-2013, European Commission,
November 2008
For IOC, the preservation of island and marine biodiversity is a lever of sustainable growth.
The Indianoceanic region is one of the 34 « hot spots » of biodiversity in the world. It means
that the region is characterised by a great natural wealth and by a high rate of endemism.
But this biodiversity is threatened and has already lost more than 70% of its original species.
The threats on terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the region are numerous. The growing
population and its pressure on natural resources, especially on the coasts, the heavy
puncture of primary resources and economic activities, are challenging the resilience of
ecosystems. In fact, pressurising
the natural capital of the region
means pressurising the
economic capital of the IOC’s
Member States.
The value of reef ecosystems in
southwestern Indian Ocean is
estimated at 5,3 billion euros
and the mangroves close to 7
billion euros. In a context of
continued degradation of the
Figure 10: Contribution of coral reefs is often under-estimated. Its value in South-western environment, the accounting of
Indian Ocean is estimated at 5 billion euros.
natural environments
demonstrates risks to fishing industries and tourism, food security, improved living conditions
of the population, or adapting to change climate.
Clearly, preserving the regional natural capital contributes to the sustainable development
and competitiveness of the economies of the IOC’s Member States.
The Biodiversity Project, which will begin its operations in late 2013-early 2014, will raise
awareness of the peoples of the region and build-up the capacity of national and local policy
makers, communities, private operators, with the support of non-governmental
organizations.
24Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
The overall objective of the Biodiversity project is to contribute to regional integration by
promoting an effective, coordinated and sustainable use of the regional natural capital in
compliance with the regional and international agreements to promote sustainable
development and livelihoods. More specifically, it will develop and build-up national and
regional capacities to manage the direct and indirect use of coastal, marine, land and specific
island resources for sustainable biodiversity conservation.
The financing agreement between IOC and EU for the Biodiversity project for an amount of €
15 million over five years was signed at the 28th Council of Ministers of the IOC, held in
Seychelles on January 17, 2013.
Renewable energies
«The priority for the region is to develop an energy
policy that takes account of new and renewable
technology advances and then to design a system that
can be networked to take account of increasing
demand for power and be flexible enough to
accommodate peak and off-peak demand levels»
Regional Startegic Paper / Regional Indicative Programme for ESA-
IO region 2008-2013, European Commission, November 2008
In the region, more than 80% of primary energy is
imported. It is a financial and environmental and
financial cost IOC’s Member States cannot afford in the
long-term. There is a need and an emergency for
development of renewable energy and energy
efficiency.
In Seychelles, the situation is particularly worrying: Figure 11: A windfarm in Rodrigues
electricity production is dependent on imported fossil
fuels at 95%. In Mauritius, the import of oil costs 750 million euros annually to the
authorities, more than 8% of Mauritius’ gross domestic product. Therefore, the Mauritian
government intends to reduce the share of fossil fuels in electricity generation from 80% to
65% in favor of renewable energies. In Madagascar, only 19% of the population has access
to electricity. In Comoros, the rate is 38%.
25Indian Ocean Commission
Placing the Indianoceanic region on the world map
In Malagasy countryside, the primary energy source is wood. As a result, Madagascar faces a
a massive and alarming deforestation. The issue of renewable energy is double: first it deals
with the energy production and the preservation of biodiversity.
The Renewable Energies IOC Project therefore aims at assisting its member countries to have
access to reliable, modern, diverse, and efficient renewable energy sources at a competitive
price. The development potential is there. For it expresses the IOC will coordinate actions for
the sharing of experiences, transfer of know-how and technologies. Even within the
Indianoceanic region, Reunion and Mauritius have developed national strategies and have
expertise on which the region can capitalise.
The expected results of this project focuses on improving regulatory and business
environment for renewable energy, the effective sensitization of the population, the adoption
of standards and labels, and the ability of
governmental and private sector to
develop, build, and operate decentralised
systems of electric generation from
renewable energy sources.
Figure 12: There is a great potential for the development of renewable The Renewable Energy project, which will
energies in the Indianoceanic region
directly improve the lives of thousands of
men and women of the region, benefits from a funding of 15 million euros over five years.
The Financing Agreement was signed on June 5, 2013 at the General Secretariat of the IOC
during a joint EU-IOC event on the occasion of the World Environment Day.
26Indian Ocean Commission
General Secretariat
3rd Floor, Blue Tower,
Rue de l’Institut
Ebène, Mauritius
secretariat@coi-ioc.org
(+230) 402 61 00
www.coi-ioc.orgYou can also read
