NAIROBI, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Fisheries experts from Africa and the Indian Ocean regions Friday formed a network to mitigate the impact of climate change on small-scale fisheries.
Velayoudom Marimoutou, secretary-general of the Indian Ocean Commission said that the findings from the network will help in addressing climate change effects in the sector.
"The information will enable experts to work together towards identifying appropriate solutions and creating synergies," Marimoutou said at the end of a two-day roundtable meeting in Nairobi.
He observed that the overriding objective of this network is to provide the region and its member countries with the necessary data to measure the extent of climate change impact on the region's fisheries resources.
Marimoutou added that the sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showcases that, of all ecosystems, the oceans are the most affected.
Marimoutou observed that as a result, fishers who are unable to move around to diversify their activities and leverage technology to sustain their catches will be faced with the existential challenge of food insecurity.
The experts noted that the fishing sector is in grave danger from climate change effects that are worsening an already grim food situation, since fish represents about 17 percent of animal protein in the world.
They noted that it is essential for the region to find solutions to preserve this important food and economic resource.
The conference which brought together delegates from Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and Tanzania, adopted the report proposing 17 series of indicators to assess the effects of climate change on fisheries resources in the region.
These indicators include environmental and socio-economic data, as well as data on governance, climate finance.
