Conservation Plan 2005-2009

Much of the implementation of EAME conservation plan in the first phase (2005-2009) will take place through National Action Plans. Three of these were drawn up in stakeholder workshops in Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania in April-May 2003. The South African National EAME Action Plan derives from a parallel process, and elements of a Somalia plan have been proposed with limited input from within the country due to security reasons.

Each plan contains:

• An analysis of proximate and root causes of biodiversity loss, together with conservation targets;
• Priorities for seascape planning and marine protected areas;
• Priority actions to address the most pressing proximate and root causes of biodiversity loss;
• Pr
  
  oposals to enhance the national enabling environment and capacity building; and
• Priorities for seascape planning and marine protected areas.

The approach to drafting the National Action Plans was based on agreed strategic principles:

• Implementation should be focused on developing seascape plans and marine protected areas, involving communities in managing resources, and enabling an ecosystem approach to be adopted;
• Action planning should promote ecologically sustainable livelihoods, that are also socially and economically viable;
• Cooperation, collaboration, and community co-management should be built into all aspects of implementation, including support for partnership development and for effective local government;
• Action plans should seek to use donor funding to leverage funding from national governments in
• EAME and from other sources;
• Implementation should encourage the involvement of the private sector, and facilitate partnerships between conservation and private sector agencies;
• Action at seascape level should be complemented by the promotion of an enabling policy and legal environment, as well as capacity-building; and
• Implementation should include consideration of issues that affect both EAME and neighbouring ecoregions, such as the Eastern African Coastal Forests Ecoregion.

Geographic focus

In the first five-year phase of the EAME programme, work will begin in the most important twelve of the twenty-one EAME priority seascapes. Stakeholders at the EAMEP national workshops agreed that the critical priority areas would be targeted for action in Phase 1.

Kenya

1. Lamu Archipelago
2. Mida-Creek Malindi
3. Tana River Delta
4. Msambweni-Tanga

Tanzania

1. Rufiji-Mafia-Kilwa complex
2. Pemba Island
3. Mtwara-Quirimbas complex

Mozambique

1. Bazaruto Archipelago
2. Maputo-Machangulo complex
3. Mtwara-Quirimbas complex
4. Zambezi River Delta
5. Inhambane Bay

South Africa

1. Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Complex, which includes:
• Kosi-Maputaland system (Kosi/Sibaya Lakes and Marine areas extending south to Cape Vidal);
• St. Lucia system ( St. Lucia Lake/Umfolozi and Marine areas extending south to Cape St. Lucia).

Somalia

1. Shebela Delta
2. Bajuni

Seascape planning will be undertaken in each of these areas, to identify (in collaboration with all key stakeholders) gaps and priorities for action, and ways of working together to implement the plan. This process will begin with the global priority areas, and the EAMEP will promote the establishment of marine protected areas where needed. The long-term aim is for every priority area to be addressed in this way.

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