Abidjan Convention Sustainable Seas Pilot Workshop

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Group picture – 21 June 2012 – Grand-Bassam (Côte d’Ivoire).

standardized information collection systems. The pro- gramme has been expanded in the early 1990 with capacity building activities in fisheries research and management (institutional strengthening in partner countries) and post-survey meetings with fisheries ad- ministrations. The programme focuses on countries and institutions in Northwest Africa, the Gulf of Guin- ea and South Western Africa, and the promotion of regional collaboration and transboundary issues. The information and data collected through the Nansen Programme are used to produce reports on the state of the fishery resources and are also stored in a data- base managed by IMR for the benefit of all partners.

The available archive contains valuable and scientifi- cally unique information and data on species distribu- tion, abundance, species interactions, environmental conditions and ecosystem characteristics. UNEP/GRID-Arendal and the Abidjan Convention Secretariat have detailed the framework of coopera- tion with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October 2011. This MOU facilitates collabo- ration between the Abidjan Convention Secretariat and UNEP/GRID-Arendal on shared goals and objec- tives in regard to the conservation, protection and sustainable use of nature and natural resources.