The EAF-Nansen Project “Strengthening the Knowledge Base for and Implementing an Ecosystem Approach to Marine Fisheries in Developing Countries” (GCP/INT/003/NOR) is an initiative to support the implementation of the ecosystem approach in the management of marine fisheries. The aim is to promote sustainable utilization of marine living resources and improved protection of the marine environment.

Notionally, the project started in December 2006 but substantively from early 2008 and has a five-year time frame. The project is executed by FAO in close collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) of Bergen, Norway and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

The EAF-Nansen Project is set to strengthen regional and country specific efforts to reduce poverty and create conditions to assist in the achievement of food security through development of sustainable fisheries management regimes and specifically through the application of the ecosystem approach to fisheries in a number of developing countries. The initial focus of the project is on Sub-Saharan Africa.

The project is a means to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) related to eradication of poverty and hunger while simultaneously ensuring environmental sustainability.

As was reported in the last issue of the project’s newsletter e-APPROACH, the first phase of the EAF-Nansen project which started in December 2006 ended on December 31 2011. With continued funding from Norad, a new phase of the project started on 1 January 2012. This is a 3-year transition phase that would prepare the grounds for a possible second phase project.

The transition phase will follow the same 5 components and 6 outputs. However, some activities have been re-formulated and news one on climate change, biodiversity and communications have been added.

During the transition phase the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway and Norad will examine the best options concerning the research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen. There have been proposals to either refurbish the present vessel or to build a new vessel. The new or re-fitted vessel will have the capacity to undertake comprehensive ecosystem surveys as perceived under the second phase.

Weekly diaries from the survey are available Here.

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Nigeria joins the Central Gulf of Guinea EAF project “Improving the Management of Industrial Shrimp Fisheries in Cameroon, Gabon and Nigeria”  

Nigeria has just joined Cameroon and Gabon to work on a sub-regional management plan for the industrial shrimp fishery in the Central Gulf of Guinea.

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A Project photo gallery for the EAF-Nansen project is now available here.

The current position of the R/V Dr Fridtjof Nansen is available on the web Here.

A new download page is now available on the website. Here you can find software, publications and other downloadable material from the EAF-Nansen Project.