FAO.org

Knowledge tranfer during work in the genetic lab. © FAO/Peter Psomadakis

20 July 2024, Makhanda, South Africa – The EAF-Nansen Programme in collaboration with the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB) hosted a Post-Survey Workshop on Fish Taxonomy Research from 7 to 18 July 2024. Held at the NRF-SAIAB campus in Makhanda, South Africa, the event brought together ten fisheries scientists from Mozambique, Tanzania, and Kenya and a team of international experts with different scientific backgrounds, to advance our knowledge of East African fish biodiversity and build regional capacity in taxonomy research.

The research vessel (R/V) Dr. Fridtjof Nansen is a key tool of the EAF-Nansen Programme, conducting surveys across Africa and the Bay of Bengal to gather data on fisheries resources and information on the marine environment. Over the years, research activities aboard the vessel have revealed previously unknown species and contributed to the biodiversity knowledge in poorly explored regions of the world. Recent surveys in the Indian Ocean (Mozambique and Tanzania) in 2023, generated interesting results including several fish species potentially new to science. These samples, now deposited in the NRF-SAIAB's National Collections Facility are the subject of ongoing taxonomy studies and were used as reference material for the workshop activities.

In line with the Programme’s long-term vision of equipping scientists from partner countries to contribute to international scientific platforms on equal footing of their international counterparts, the workshop was specifically designed to empower African scientists to publish their research as lead authors.  For this scope, the workshop participants were each assigned one or more taxonomy projects and paired with international experts who guided them through standard procedures and routines in fish taxonomy research using the specimens from the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen as basis for their study. The research methodology adopted during the workshop combined classical morphology and modern DNA barcoding techniques.

"NRF-SAIAB serves not only as a hub for housing fish collections from the Nansen research surveys but also as a regional reference institute for taxonomy training and research," said Professor Albert Chakona, Acting Managing Director of NRF-SAIAB. "The goal is to create a synergy between the EAF-Nansen Programme's surveys at sea, its network of partner countries and NRF-SAIAB's infrastructure and expertise, to significantly advance fish taxonomy research capacity in Africa."

Ultimately, the workshop resulted in the preparation of 16 research papers led by the workshop participants, including the formal description of eight species new to science and eight new geographical records.

Knowledge tranfer during work in the fish lab. © FAO/Peter Psomadakis

Nansen specimens curated at NRF-SAIAB. © FAO/Peter Psomadakis

Peter Psomadakis, an EAF-Nansen Programme taxonomist and workshop leader, underscored the value of practical training. “These workshops are designed to “use” scientific research as a tool to build capacity in partner countries. Taxonomy research is critically lacking in the region; only four African fish taxonomists attended the Indo Pacific-Fish Conference held in November 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. By empowering national scientists to lead in taxonomic research, we not only enable them to actively participate in international scientific platforms but also create a leap forward in better understanding the marine ecosystem, which is important for the sustainable future of fishery resources. Increased representation of national scientists in these platforms also helps combat ‘parachute science,’ fostering fairer, more equitable research practices and ensuring local insights shape future marine conservation policies,” he explained.

The workshop's scientific output marks a significant achievement, with several papers set to be published in international peer-reviewed journals. Insights from these studies will enhance knowledge of East African marine life, supporting regional efforts toward biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries management.

As the EAF-Nansen Programme approaches its 50th anniversary in 2025, initiatives like this workshop demonstrate its commitment to building scientific capacity in partner countries and promoting sustainable fisheries in Africa and beyond.

About the Programme 

The EAF-Nansen Programme is a longstanding partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Norway, executed in close collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR).

The Programme is also one of the endorsed ‘Decade Actions’ under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

More on the topic

• Field identification guide to the living marine resources of Myanmar (FAO Species Identification Guide)
• Advancing biodiversity research with discovery of new fish species in Myanmar (web story)
• Fish taxonomy research workshop develops local talent and leadership in Tenerife (web story)
• Discovery of a new species of giant guitarfish in Bangladesh raises country’s ambition about solid taxonomic research (web story)
• Building Africa’s capacity for better fisheries management through taxonomy and marine species identification (web story)
• First regional training course on marine taxonomy and species identification took place in Southeast Asia (web story)
• Post-survey Taxonomy Training, Tenerife (January 2023) (photo collection)
• Description of two new species of sandlances, genus Bleekeria (Perciformes, Ammodytidae) from the Andaman Sea (northeastern Indian Ocean) (scientific paper)
• Two new species of the genus Chelidoperca (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Andaman Sea, eastern Indian Ocean (scientific paper)
• Grammatonotus bianchi, a new species of splendid perch (Percoidei: Callanthiidae) from Myanmar, northeastern Indian Ocean (scientific paper)
• New photographic equipment aboard the research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen improves species identification (web story)
• Learning the ABCs of species identification (web story)