Development of Ocean Governance Strategy for Africa: Summary of Scoping Study and Gap Analysis

The role of Africa’s oceans and seas in supporting socio-economic growth and development across different sectors is so significant that cannot be overemphasized. Nonetheless, pressures on this vast resource base are constantly increasing not only from the traditional maritime activities, but more from the emerging economic undertakings such as mariculture and offshore energy exploitation. Besides, increasing insecurity in the Africa’s marine waters, enhanced illegal trafficking, and degradation of the marine environment and climate change phenomenon further exacerbate the existing environmental stresses that have significant implications on the governance of the oceans, not only at the level of individual nations, but more challenging at the regional and continental levels.