The Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) continues successful capacity development work in Namibia

In collaboration with colleagues from the Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (NatMIRC), and DOSI members from South Africa, Portugal and the UK, SOES staff member and DOSI Executive Director, Maria Baker, led an in-person, hands-on workshop in Swakopmund, Namibia in October/November 2023.

DOSI has a solid history of collaboration with NatMIRC starting with a first deep-sea benthos workshop in Namibia in April 2016 which prompted a drive by Namibian colleagues to establish a deep-ocean benthic sampling programme in Namibian waters in association with their annual fisheries research expeditions for hake, monk and crab. This was followed up with continued support and a 2020 online training workshop around the fundamentals of sampling, processing, storage, data management and VMEs.

The 2023 workshop goals were to exchange practical knowledge around identification and taxonomic classification of the deep-ocean Namibian benthic invertebrates collected during these expeditions. The collections are required for the eco-certification work focused around needs for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Standard V 2.01 P2 Habitat Condition. The MSC Fisheries Standard is the leading international standard for sustainable fishing and is used to assess whether fisheries are well-managed and environmentally sustainable.  It is fully expected that the Namibian collections will also inspire future deep-ocean taxonomic and ecological research papers led by Namibian scientists.

DOSI is committed to continue to work with NatMIRC to support on-going efforts to further explore and identify the deep fauna of Namibia’s EEZ and to extend networks of collaboration across Africa. DOSI secured funding from The Ocean Foundation and One Ocean Hub to support this 2023 workshop.