Prospects and obstacles to large marine ecosystem-based management in the Benguela Current region

Ecosystem-based management is the paradigm favored by states worldwide for natural resource management. The burgeoning concept of large marine ecosystems (LMEs) provides a model framework for achieving ecosystem-based management of marine natural resources. Through the promotion of the Global Environment Facility, many states have adopted the LME concept for their own natural resource needs. The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project (BCLME) in Southern Africa represents a nascent effort to implement LME-based management. The present study examines how the three Southern African states of Namibia, South Africa and Angola have sought to implement an LME-based management framework to manage their shared resources in the Benguela Current and to elucidate the prospects and obstacles the states face in their collective effort. In order to determine the project's prospects for future resource management in the region, an examination of institutional, societal, economical, and political obstacles are evaluated. The lessons learned from the BCLME offer insights that may provide valuable information to other states seeking to implement LME-based management in their own regions