State of the Marine Environment
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STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT REPORT FOR THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN: 2006 Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden PERSGA – “The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden” is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the conservation of the coastal and marine environments in the region. The Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment (Jeddah Convention) 1982 provides the legal foundation for PERSGA. The Secretariat of the Organization was formally established in Jeddah following the Cairo Declaration of September 1995. The PERSGA member states are Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. PERSGA, P.O. Box 53662, Jeddah 21583, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tel.: +966-2-657-3224. Fax: +966-2-652-1901. E-mail: [email protected] Under a consultancy for PERSGA, and its direct cooperation and supervision, this document was prepared by: Dr William Gladstone School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle P.O. Box 127, Ourimbah NSW 2258, Australia Email: [email protected] Captain Roy Facey Port Development Adviser, Yemen Ports Authority, Aden, Republic of Yemen Email: [email protected] Dr Khaled Hariri President, Hariri and Associates Environment and Natural Resources Management Consultants Sana’a, Republic of Yemen Email: [email protected] First edition by Dr William Gladstone Coordination and follow-up by Dr Dirar Nasr This report is based on the data collected, results and analysis of the surveys and various activities carried out by PERSGA and its member states during the preparation and implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (1996-2005). © PERSGA 2006 The presentation of the material in the document does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of PERSGA concerning the legal status of any state or its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of its boundaries. The document contains the views expressed by the authors acting in their individual capacity and may not necessarily reflect the views of PERSGA. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non- profit purposes provided that acknowledgement of the source is given. PERSGA would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this material as a source. This publication may not be copied, or distributed electronically, for resale or other commercial purposes without prior permission, in writing, from PERSGA. Printed in Saudi Arabia. For bibliographic purposes this publication may be cited as: PERSGA. 2006. State of the Marine Environment, Report for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. PERSGA, Jeddah. ii STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT iii REPORT FOR THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN: 2006 REPORT FOR THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN: 2006 FOREWORD Twenty five years ago, the Jeddah Convention (1982), its Marine Emergency Protocol and the Action Plan were signed by the Arab countries bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. In accordance with this Convention the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) was established in 1995 as a secretariat for the Convention. PERSGA has played a key role in addressing various threats facing this unique region. Increase in human population in coastal areas and the rapid rise in economic growth has resulted in considerable pressure on the environment including destruction of coastal ecosystems through land-filling and dredging, and the disposal of industrial and domestic wastes into the marine environment. The Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs (CAMRE) was established in 1987 to enhance cooperation when dealing with defined environmental problems and to facilitate the priority actions required to address them in the Arab region. CAMRE is also involved in following-up on the implementation of international conventions dealing with the environment. CAMRE is concentrating on three main programmes that require priority actions in the Arab world: desertification, industrial pollution, and education, awareness and environmental information. These programmes are being implemented in close collaboration and in coordination with relevant international organizations such as UNEP, and regional organizations such as PERSGA. In this context PERSGA has been given the responsibility for coordination and follow- up on marine pollution incidents and marine catastrophes in the Arab region within the framework of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Initiative in the Arab region. This publication—State of the Marine Environment Report for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden—will contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Initiative of CAMRE, supporting continued efforts for sustainable use of marine and coastal resources. Turki bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz Chairman, Executive Bureau, Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs (CAMRE) ii STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT iii REPORT FOR THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN: 2006 REPORT FOR THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN: 2006 PREfaCE It is well known that the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden contain unique coastal and marine environments. While the Red Sea is famous for its globally important repository of marine biodiversity, represented by the extraordinary system of coral reefs and their associated fauna and flora, the Gulf of Aden, being influenced by nutrient rich upwelling waters, is known for prodigious fishery production. Concerns for the protection of these unique environments began in the early seventies with the initiation of the Programme for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA). The key achievement of this initiative was the signing of the Jeddah Convention (1982), its Marine Emergency Protocol, and the Action Plan. In accordance with the articles of this convention the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) was established (1995). PERSGA’s mandate is to perform the functions necessary for the management of the Jeddah Convention (1982) and it’s Action Plan. Thus, PERSGA, in close collaboration with relevant regional and international organizations, began implementing activities and programmes to deal with the various threats facing the coastal and marine environments in the region. The most significant threats included: environmental degradation, non-sustainable use of living marine resources, maritime traffic, oil production and transport, urban and industrial development, and the rapid expansion of coastal tourism. The Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, executed by PERSGA with GEF support, was one of the most ambitious programmes undertaken. The SAP was largely executed through a diverse set of training, workshops, surveys and action plan development which resulted in a substantive number of reports, documents and outputs across all the SAP components. The availability of this information formed an excellent basis for the production of the State of the Marine Environment Report (SOMER) for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The SOMER aims to support continuing efforts towards the sustainable use and conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. It is hoped that this report will provide a foundation for improved decision making at all levels, and increase awareness and understanding of environmental trends and conditions—their causes and consequences— among all stakeholders. The report can also provide source material for academic studies and a baseline of integrated information against which future assessments can be compared. Prof. Ziad Abu Ghararah Secretary General PERSGA iv STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT v REPORT FOR THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN: 2006 REPORT FOR THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN: 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ...................................................................................................... iii PREfaCE ........................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................... xi LIST OF PLATES .............................................................................................. xiv LIST OF BOXES ............................................................................................... xiv ACKNOWLEDGEMEntS ............................................................................... xv ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .......................................................... xvi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................... 1 Physical Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden ...........................................1 Coastal and Marine Resources ...................................................................................3 Sea-Based Activities and Sources of Pollution...........................................................5 Land-Based Activities and Sources of Pollution ........................................................7 Living Marine Resources ............................................................................................8