The AIR Centre’s Executive Director, Miguel Miranda, participated in the International Conference on Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture (CIPAS 2025) in Luanda, Angola, showcasing the application of Copernicus Earth Observation data to enhance ocean monitoring and support fisheries operations in Angolan waters.
Organized by Angola’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources under the theme “Responsible Fishing and Sustainable Aquaculture: A Challenge, a Commitment, a Mission Uniting the Nation,” the two-day conference brought together national and international experts to foster dialogue on sustainable fisheries.
On November 5, Miguel Miranda presented “Integration of Copernicus Data into the INIPM Portal: Supporting Ocean Monitoring and Fisheries Operations” as part of the Science, Data and Ocean Monitoring panel. His presentation highlighted the AIR Centre’s collaboration with Angola’s National Institute of Fisheries and Marine Research (INIPM) to enhance ocean observation capabilities using advanced satellite data. He also promoted the sea state forecasting service supported by the AIR Centre, which provides real-time data on significant wave height, peak period, currents, temperature, salinity, and elevation for Angola’s coastal waters – essential parameters for safe and efficient fisheries operations. This service is now fully accessible via INIPM’s official portal.
By integrating Copernicus data into local monitoring systems, the AIR Centre is supporting Angola in strengthening its capacity for evidence-based fisheries management and ocean surveillance, bridging Earth Observation technology with practical applications for ocean sustainability.
The conference was opened by José de Lima Massano, Minister of State for Economic Coordination, who emphasized Angola’s commitment to the National Development Programme 2023-2027 and the National Strategy for the Sea of Angola 2030, aligning with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050.
The AIR Centre’s participation in CIPAS 2025 reinforces its commitment to supporting sustainable ocean management and fostering international collaboration in marine science across the Atlantic basin.
Marine Biodiversity Networking Fridays
On January 14th, 2022, 1-2 PM UTC we had David Obura, Founding Director of CORDIO East Africa, and Nic Bax from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship. David and Nic represent regularly the African and Australian Governments, respectively, at meetings of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The post-2020 CBD framework calls for parties to significantly step up their efforts on the collection, analysis, and delivery of biodiversity observations to advance the world towards the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity. In this session, David and Nic will present marine monitoring, indicators and place-based management for post-2020 decision-making.
Remote Sensing and Smart Tech for Marine Litter – Ocean Decade Laboratory Satellite Activity
RMC (Ghana) and IRHOB (Benin) sign MoUs with the AIR Centre to support blue economy in Western Africa
The Regional Marine Centre (RMC), University of Ghana and the Benin Institute for Halieutic and Oceanographic Research (Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin – IRHOB) signed Memorandums of Understanding with the AIR Centre with the goal to support Atlantic countries to achieve the goals and targets of blue economy for sustainable development.