Nyt forskningsskib skal skaffe kystnationer i Den 3. Verden ny og vigtig viden om deres fiskeressourcer, klimaforandringer og forurening – kommer til at råde over syv laboratorier om bord og nordmændene betaler for det avancerede fartøj.
ROME, 9 June 2014 (FAO): Norway is to build one of the most advanced research vessels in the world as part of an ongoing project with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to support developing countries improve the management of their fisheries.
The new 80 million US dollar (430 mio. DKR) research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen will replace an older craft of the same name that has been navigating the coast of Africa since 1993.
Here it has carried out in-depth research into the state of the continent’s marine ecosystems for the EAF-Nansen Project, the latest phase of a unique 40-year programme.
The project works with 32 coastal countries in Africa to help them obtain detailed information on their marine resources so that they can develop fisheries management plans, with a focus on maintaining ecosystem health and productivity.
Scientists from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and participating African countries aboard the boat use 3D imagery to map the seabed and gather vast quantities of data on fish stocks, water and sediment quality, surveying the entire ecosystem from seabirds to fish and from whales to minute plants (phytoplankton) and animals (zooplankton).
“Taking ownership of the information”
“What makes this project unique is that developing countries take ownership of the information collected,” said EAF-Nansen Project Coordinator Kwame Koranteng, addng:
“The overall goal is to enable countries to make their own assessments and prepare and implement fisheries management plans, which are critical for marine resources threatened by overfishing, pollution and climate change.”
In coming years the project will extend its efforts to focus on the impacts of climate change and pollution, including environmental monitoring on offshore oil and gas mining activities.
“We hope the project will contribute, among other things, to answering the key question of how climate change will affect the distribution and abundance of marine species, which is a critical issue for the livelihoods of millions of people,” said Árni M. Mathiesen, FAO Assistant Director-General for Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Funded by Norad (det norske Danida), the project is run by FAO with the scientific support of the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, and collaborates with national and regional institutions and other UN agencies.
State-of-the-art equipment
Læs videre på http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/233930/icode
Hvem var Nansen?
Se mere på http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fridtjof_Nansen
