South Africa put in place an innovative information management system designed to monitor and protect its seas. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian oceans on its southern, eastern and western borders.that, by 2033, this would rise to R177-billion, as well as creating just over one million jobs. The main sectors in ocean industries are maritime transport, fisheries and aquaculture, mineral resource exploitation, and tourism.
While the system is tailored to South Africa’s national priorities, it was inspired by other mature ocean information systems around the world, such as those in For example, data capture apps on the system are used to share measurements made on aquaculture farms and inform users on the potential risk of. Boat-based whale-watching operators contribute their marine species sightings data towards biodiversity assessments. All this data can be analysed by scientists and their findings used to advise on policy options or compliance and enforcement actions.
As the Covid pandemic demonstrated, informed decisions cannot occur without access to data. Historical and operational data provides situational awareness, informs policy and supports long-term planning and management.. It’s an essential component of the overall OCIMS system. It preserves, discovers and disseminates long-term data. It is internationally accredited and bound by best international standards and practices.Another of the system’s aims is to provide tools for supporting decisions.