Local to regional polycentric levels of governance of the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem

Abstract

Building trust across diverse groups and nations requires long-term commitment and time, as the Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem (GOGLME) and the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME) projects demonstrated over two decades while establishing trust and partnerships among 16 western African countries along the coast of the GCLME leading to the GCLME project successfully establishing the Interim Guinea Current Commission (IGCC). Regional Activity Centers of Capacity for Productivity, Fisheries, Environment, Information Management and Pollution Monitoring created by the GCLME Project effectively connected international development goals with implementation efforts on the ground at regional and local scales. The active involvement of the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) and key Ministers from various countries was critical to achieving the genuine commitment in the region to pursue transboundary regional ocean governance at the GCLME level. The 16 countries at a ministerial meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire declared their intent to replace the Interim Guinea Current Commission (IGCC) with a permanent Commission serving as a mechanism for coordination and agreement on resource use among these countries embracing the LME modules from local to regional polycentric levels of governance, consistent with the benefits of an ecosystem-based approach to assessment and management of GCLME goods and services.