Proposal for GEF (Global Environment Facility) funding to support capacity building and training to the GEF-eligible countries with Antarctic interests

1. South Africa is seeking GEF assistance to support capacity building and training to implement scientific research and monitoring in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems, including:

• Assisting with identifying areas for special protection or management and developing management plans;
• Developing a collaborative ecosystem assessment and monitoring programme for the Antarctic LME, measuring potential physical and ecological degradation and destabilisation from the effects of climate change (particularly ocean acidification) and other factors
• Identifying and managing the risk from marine alien invasive species as a result of human visits (vessels, scientists etc) as well as with changing ecosystem conditions resulting from climate change;
• Improving understanding of fishing effort and identification of overfishing of target species and associated or species dependent on the same ecosystem taken in Antarctic and Southern Ocean fisheries.

2. South Africa is seeking CCAMLR support for this project. As the multilateral agency responsible for the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources, and the organization for which South Africa is seeking GEF support to engage more effectively, CCAMLR has a key role in this initiative.