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Every year on June 8 the world is celebrating World Oceans Day, designated by the United Nations (UN) as a special occasion to remind humanity about the benefits the Ocean is providing us with, but also individual and collective responsibility we all have to protect it and use its marine resources in a sustainable way.

The Nansen Programme is Norway's renowned and long-standing development cooperation initiative for fisheries research and management. For over 40 years, the Programme has been supporting developing countries in strengthening their capacities, necessary to sustainably use and manage Ocean resources, contributing at the same time towards realizing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SGD1, SDG2, SDG5 and SDG14, by the critical 2030 deadline.

"The workplan of the Programme is highly relevant to the developing coastal countries and can support the governments and the stakeholders in achieveing (or approaching) several of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, notably but not exclusively SDG14 on making the goal of attaining sustainable use of the Oceans a reality", said Merete Tandstad, Coordinator of the EAF-Nansen Programme.

Over the past decade, the Programme has been actively promoting the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) and strengthening the science-policy nexus at regional and national levels under FAO’s strong leadership. The new phase of the Programme (2017-2022), known as "The EAF-Nansen Programme" reinforces the focus on EAF and management support, and expands on the areas of work by including known and emerging threats to Ocean’s sustainability, such as unsustainable fishing practices, climate change and pollution, and their impact on the marine environment. A multidisciplinary research vessel, Dr Fridtjof Nansen, has been a prominent landmark throughout the Programme’s lifetime. It serves as a source of primary knowledge, necessary to inform sound and science-based management of the Ocean.

Funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and executed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with scientific and technical support from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, the Programme is today a unique platform for cooperation, capacity development, knowledge generation and exchange in developing regions, particularly in Africa and in the Bay of Bengal. Currently, 32 partner countries are assisted in their efforts to ensure food and nutrition security through achieving sustainable management of fisheries and other uses of the Ocean. Across all its activities, the Programme is promoting gender equality and effective participation of women, particularly at decision-making and management level, where their contribution is still limited.

“For the past 45 years, the Nansen Programme has providied an opportunity for coastal developing countries to assess and manage their fisheries. With a new vessel, the third Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, the Programme continues to improve knowledge and cooperation, so that the partner countries can continue working towards a more sustainable use of the Ocean and its resources,” underlined Mr. Bård Vegar Solhjell, Director General of Norad.

Since 2017, scientists from the Programme’s partner countries have collected valuable data and information on marine ecosystems, including on fishery resources, biodiversity, climate change and pollution impacts during the Nansen surveys in coastal countries in Africa and southeast Asia. Improving knowledge on marine resources and ecosystems through scientific missions on board the research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen, as well as fostering good fisheries governance through implementation of the EAF framework are essential elements in achieving Programme’s overall goals aiming at reducing poverty and improving food security in the partner countries.

Throughout its long history, the Programme has seen many important achievements for the sustainable use of the Ocean, some of which are mentioned below:

• Establishing regional cooperation on fisheries management and research in the Central Eastern Atlantic: The Programme played an instrumental role in setting up a Working Group for the Assessment of small pelagic fisheries off Northwest Africa. The Group is still active today and meets annually to provide advice on the state of shared small pelagic resources and fisheries to the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF).
• Establishing regional collaboration on Fisheries and Ocean research and management in Southwest Africa: The Programme has created conditions for a long-lasting cooperation among countries formerly in conflict. This cooperation has then expanded beyond fisheries sector and resulted in the establishment of the Benguela Current Convention, the only multi-sectoral Ocean Governance inter-governmental organization in Africa today.
• Generation of new knowledge on marine biodiversity: Most of the Nansen surveys provide valuable knowledge on marine tropical and subtropical species and habitats. For example, 14 new-to-science species and a large number (around 51) of undescribed species have been found in the waters of Myanmar.
• Applying EAF to fisheries management: 10 countries have received specific support with the implementation of the EAF, and/or shared stock management.

The Programme has also drawn upon valuable lessons in international development collaboration that today contribute to the success of the world’s longest-running fisheries development initiative. Particular attention is given to:

• Science-Policy nexus, where research remains priority for sound decision-making and sustainable developments.
• Adaptable approach to development priorities and global issues. Aware of the constantly emerging new challenges, the Programme has always been able to adapt its focus. One of the recent examples is the broadening the scope of the Programme’s activities to address ecosystem aspects, climate variability and change and pollution impacts on the marine environment, ensuring at the same time that the Programme remains relevant for the partner countries.
• Partner priorities and permanent dialogue, essential for building trust and respect among partners, as a prerequisite to any sustainable development long-term impact. This aspect has additionally helped to foster South-South collaboration, by creating networks to address issues of common interest.
• Strengthening capacities, to enable developing countries draw their own national priorities and policies that can yield benefits also at a regional and a global level.

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