Publication Abstract

A decade of Namibian fisheries science

A.I.L Payne, S.C. Pillar and R.J.M. Crawford

It gives me great pleasure to dedicate this special issue of the South African Journal of Marine Science to the proceedings of a symposium that commemorates the first decade of Namibian fisheries science. Not only does the volume consolidate much unpublished material that has in the past been inaccessible to the international reader, but most importantly it has provided an opportunity for young researchers to be exposed to the high standards of a reputable journal. The symposium was held from 10 to 12 October 2000 at Swakopmund and hosted by the National Marine Information and Research Centre (NatMIRC), Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibia. The main objective was to provide a forum where scientists of various disciplines could present papers on the environment, biology, life history, population dynamics, assessment and management of local resources, which would be indicative of the state of the art of Namibian fisheries science.

The volume brings together 32 papers, all in the form of conventional work reporting original results from Namibian waters. Every manuscript underwent peer-review and final acceptance was the prerogative of the editors of this specific issue of the Journal. After revision, manuscripts were edited by the Guest Editor, Dr Andrew Payne (CEFAS, Lowestoft, U.K.), founder and former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, now Chairperson of its international panel. I must pay him tribute for his untiring efforts in meeting deadlines, ensuring timely publication of the proceedings. The latter, however, would never have been achieved without the sterling efforts of the editorial support team, Tony van Dalsen (graphics) and Hanlie Spamer (typesetting and proofreading). Their input is deeply appreciated.

The decision to publish this volume originated from discussions I had with Dr Carola Kirchner and Dave Boyer (both NatMIRC) in mid 1999. As designated representatives of Namibian's Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, they convinced me of the sheer volume of research output that would be available for publication in the form of quality manuscripts. My personal thanks are due to them and their colleagues for their efforts in timeously addressing logistical problems through various phases of the publication cycle. Financial support was provided by NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) for printing this volume, and I am grateful to Dr Gabriella Bianchi of the Nansen Programme, Institute of Marine Research, Norway, for facilitating this.

I hope that the papers included in this volume will provide a landmark in marine research in southern Africa. It is our wish in future issues to further broaden the geographical scope of the Journal in order to provide an outlet for marine scientists to publish material from countries elsewhere in Africa. To a large extent, I believe that this change should promote and reflect increasing scientific cooperation and communication among marine scientists in African countries. Finally, I hope that this volume will pay dividends in the future by encouraging young African scientists to publish both locally and abroad. The challenges facing the marine environment and its resources transcend national boundaries. The communication of marine scientific endeavours within Africa should enhance the abilities of young Africans to develop means of addressing those challenges.

Reference:

A.I.L Payne, S.C. Pillar and R.J.M. Crawford, 2001. A decade of Namibian fisheries science. South African Journal of Marine Science, 23: 1-466.