The purpose of the mission was to: (1) Collect information on South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya concerning the ongoing and planned developments in marine science in these countries; (2) collect information on existing manpower, research vessels and training opportunities and to explore areas of collaboration. * Prepare a regional overview of the scientific problems which need to be tackled in a regional context. This overview should also contain proposals for tailor made Capacity Building activities in the eastern African countries involved. The mission showed that the Republic of South Africa has a strong marine science community, with most of the Institutions involved in research activities at the following universities: University of Cape Town, University of Port Elizabeth, University of Rhodes, and the Institute of Oceanography in Durban. It is clear that South Africa has the best scientific infrastructure in the Eastern Africa Region. The infrastructure includes universities, scientific staff and technicians, research vessels, scientific equipment, libraries, etc. Mozambique is under developed, Tanzania and Kenya being in the middle with South Africa. The scientific infrastructure in South Africa is of a high standard. The new political situation and the initiatives formulated in the new policy plan (1996-2000) of the Foundation for Research Development offer a unique opportunity for regional partnerships. Donor agencies from the following countries are active in South Africa: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States of America and the United Kingdom (through the Commonwealth Science Council). FAO and UNEP are also active in South Africa. The University of Cape Town offers a broad variety of expertise in marine science and also has taken the lead in the sub-Saharan Capacity Building activities through initiatives such as the university science and engineering partnership in Africa (USEPIA) and UCT’s Centre of Marine studies. The focus of USEPIA is staff development through attainment of jointly supervised PhD degrees. The Sea Fishery Research Institute (SFRI) has a fleet of four research vessels, the Africana, the Algoa, the Benguela and the Sardinops, which are equipped with sophisticated instrumentation and sampling gear, as well as a number of smaller ski boats and dinghies, and the Antarctic supply and research vessel Agulhas. All research vessels of the universities in South Africa have been. An interesting opportunity might be the use of the hydrographic vessel SAS Protea from the South African navy. In Mozambique the manpower available for oceanography is minimal. The Instituto Nacional de Hidrografia e Navigacao (INAHINA) is responsible for all navigation and hydrographic surveys. The institute has a well-equipped oceanographic vessel RV Basurato. The manpower and facilities at the University Eduardo Mondlane urgently need strengthening and upgrading. The Institute of Marine Sciences in Zanzibar is identified as the lead institute in Tanzania to coordinate marine research. Most of the marine institutions in Kenya are concentrated in Mombasa and Nairobi. The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) is mandated by the government of Kenya to undertake research in the marine environment. KMFRI has scientific staff and technicians who are currently involved in marine science research. It has also some equipment which can be used for research. KMFRI has taken an active role in international research projects through bilateral and multi-lateral collaboration. It also acts as a regional centre for the Regional Cooperation in Scientific Information Exchange in the Western Indian Ocean (RECOSCIX-WIO) project. KMFRI ’s research vessel Maumba needs to be replaced or upgraded. The consultants discovered that the focus of marine science in Eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa) is on research, training and infrastructure development. The mission also noticed the increase in tourism, and, subsequently, the need to monitor activities affecting the (coastal) environment. To ensure sustainable development, future research training and topics should reflect both local and national priorities. The interviewed scientists also emphasized the value of personnel exchange (short courses, ship-board training and long-term courses), and suggested that these be interlinked to the post-graduate training programme. Due in part to the new political developments in South Africa, there was a strong appreciation and enthusiasm for developing marine science partnerships. Accordingly, it became clear that the IOC-initiative in research and training to enhance Capacity Building in the Eastern African region is timely and is highly appreciated by universities and institutions in the region. A number of recommendations resulted from the mission. These include the organisation of a workshop, in march/april 1996, which has to lead to a five year work plan; the identification of additional sources of funding for the Capacity Building activities in the region; and the broadening of existing bilateral co-operation to include other interested (European) universities and industries. The mission came up with the following issues to be addressed in the near future: * South Africa’s position as economic and scientific power in Eastern Africa * Coastal resources in light of growing tourism * Manpower in marine science * Infrastructure in Eastern Africa * The organisation of a TREDMAR-like research cruise (training through research) with a South African research vessel, every two years. |
