Collecting Fishes for Science An African View

1. Collecting Fishes for Science An African View

2. Checklist • Ethics • Common sense – health and safety • Collections and ‘Bioprospecting’ • Biodiversity Informatics – “knowledge repatriation”

3. Ethics • Have you packed your “code of conduct”? • All life is precious • (In Africa) Fishes are a valuable renewable natural resource – “food” • Respect African culture – it is different, and usually more apt for the circumstance!

4. Fish and Fishing are an integral part of African culture

5. Common sense Natural waters in Africa are dangerous • diseases – the germs & bugs are nasty! • crocodiles are sneaky • hippos bite • anti-personnel mines hurt • dangerous trash is everywhere • spines, razor edged plants, etc

6. Collections • Work with local partners • Permits generally are necessary • Local officials are control freaks – prepare well in advance • Local permission (courtesy) is essential – respect local customs and protocols • Plan to share equitably • Ensure knowledge repatriation • Ensure long-term repository – museums focus change with time (universities are not long-term repositories)

7. Bioprospecting • Be Careful of this tag – developing nations are alert and reacting • Check the legal requirements • have clear (written) understanding with partners • Permits to cover “tissues” – be open • ALWAYS voucher properly • ALWAYS lodge vouchers in open access collections

8. Biodiversity Informatics • Africa is biodiversity ‘rich’ but ‘knowledge poor/deprived’ • Africa’s scientific biodiversity resources are scattered in external institutions • How do we ensure these resources are (i) available to African researchers/science, and (ii) address historical disadvantages? • Modern information technologies and information systems hold the key! • I believe fair partnerships and effort from all parties is necessary

9. Biodiversity informaticsis to: collect, capture, store, analyse, synthesise, report, use and share Biodiversity information so as to exploit the natural relationships in the information.

10. Two Data Streams Species Specimens Collections Research

11. Specimen Stream Museum specimens Application (e.g. conservation planning) biodiversity database linked to GIS (e.g. Specify) Global Change GBIF Synthesis (e.g. Ecological Niche Modelling)

12. Advances in African Biodiversity Informatics African Nodes of GBIF

13. MRAC African Biodiversity Information Centre • Created by MRAC African Zoology Department • To facilitate access to collections (in line with Belgium signatory to CBD • Promote organise and disseminate information on African biodiversity • Facilitate access to biodiversity data banks • Disseminate information on the collections through internet and “an interface” (portal) • Help African countries in the inventory and sustainable management of their biodiversity, in particular by sponsoring study visits of African scientists

14. Species Stream All Catfish Species Inventory

15. Tree of Life web project Species Stream

16. Species Stream Faunafri

17. Species Stream Encyclopedia of Life Photo: Ernst Swartz

18. Online Literature

19. The IUCN Pan African Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment • Freshwater Fishes • Molluscs • Crabs • Odonata • Aquatic Plants • East Africa • Madagascar • West Africa • Central Africa • North Africa • North East Africa • Southern Africa

20. Barcode of Life

21. African FISH-BOL Participating Countries 25 Regional Working Group members from 16 countries 679 of 8720 species already barcoded (8%) Support from CBOL, CCDB (& their sponsors), IUCN, SARCF (NRF), WIO project & CoML FISH-BOL in Africa SA iBOL 2008 New African RWG partners Existing African RWG

22. So, lets get going!