Advisory Panel

Advisory Panel Membership

Dr Johann Augustyn - SOLSTICE-WIO Advisory Board Chairperson

Dr Johann Augustyn is Executive Secretary of the South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association, (SADSTIA) based in South Africa, www.sadstia.co.za . He was formerly  Chief Director: Fisheries Research and Development at the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in South Africa, as well Chief Director: Marine Resource Management in DAFF and Chief Director: Research, Antarctica and Islands in the Department of Environmental Affairs in South Africa. He holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Port Elizabeth and worked as a marine scientist for more than twenty years, specializing in squid biology, before getting involved in management. He has a special interest in the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF), on which subject he has authored or co-authored several publications, presented papers and conducted training courses internationally. He has recently written book chapters on Climate Change in Fisheries and on Fisheries Rebuilding. He has broad experience of multi-lateral regional fisheries programmes, was until 2014 the Chair of the Ecosystem Advisory Committee of the Benguela Current Commission and has chaired the Drafting Committee of FAO-COFI (Committee on Fisheries). He chaired a successful FAO Technical Consultation on Flag State Performance from 2011 to 2013, which negotiated and produced the Voluntary Guidelines on Flag State Performance which were adopted at FAO-COFI in 2014. He is currently a Visiting Fellow of Rhodes University, a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee of the Marine Stewardship Council and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel of the joint SA-UK Solstice Programme.

Dr Akiko Yamamoto - Regional Programme Specialist, Water and Oceans-Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ethiopia

As the UNDP-GEF Team Leader for Africa, Dr Akiko Yamamoto manages a team of +/- 20 international and national staff providing technical advisory services to 46 UNDP Country Offices in sub-Saharan Africa on formulating and implementing projects in biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation, international waters, persistent organic pollutants and ozone layer protection.

As a Regional Programme Specialist for International Waters, Akiko oversees the UNDP-GEF marine and freshwater portfolio in Southern and Eastern Africa. The size of her portfolio is currently USD45mil in GEF investment across 20 countries.

Dr Jared Bosire - United Nations Environment Programme, (UNEP), Kenya

Dr Jean Githaiga-Mwicigi - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), South Africa

Dr Jean Githaiga-Mwicigi is a Marine Fisheries Scientist with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), South Africa.  She has a PhD in Marine Science and an MSc in Conservation Biology both from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and has as BSc Zoology (Hons) from Shivaji University, India.

Jean works in the Offshore Directorate of the Research & Development Chief Directorate within the Fisheries Management Branch at DAFF. She is part of the demersal research group where she Chairs the Squid Scientific Working Group and is responsible for the scientific research and management of the South African squid fishery and resource. Her own research includes investigating the impacts of environmental change on the squid resource in an overall effort to develop a forecasting mechanism for squid catches. She also leads a project investigating the use of acoustics as an alternative method for estimating squid abundance.

Jean also Chairs the Fisheries Climate Change Task Team where she has spearheaded the development of a Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan for Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture in South Africa, after first identifying the fisheries most vulnerability to climate change through a Vulnerability Assessment of Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture. She has also led the development of a National Adaptation Strategy for the Marine Fisheries Sector, the Technological Prioritization of National Adaptation Options for South Africa, and in drafting a Climate Smart Approach to Marine Fisheries & Aquaculturewhich is nested in an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries management.

Prof Yunus D. Mgaya - National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Tanzania

Dr Ben Millingan - Senior Research Fellow, University College London Institute for Sustainable Resources, UK,                www.ben-milligan.com

Dr Ben Milligan’s research and advisory work focus on the design of legal, institutional and policy frameworks for sustainable development, with a particular focus on marine and coastal ecosystems and related economic sectors. Previous clients and partners include national governments, inter-governmental bodies, and non-governmental organisations. Ben currently serves as Secretariat Director of the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership and as a member of Expert Group supporting the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. In 2016-2017 he was seconded to the UK Government Office for Science to support the Government's "Future of the Sea" strategic review of UK oceans policy. 

Jessica Surma - Natural Environment Research Council, UK

Prof Kevin Horsburgh - National Oceanography Centre, UK,  noc.ac.uk

Professor Kevin Horsburgh is Chief Scientist for International Development at the National Oceanography Centre where he oversees a £20 million portfolio of projects, engaging with 22 different partner countries, ensuring the coherent delivery of transdisciplinary science that leads to sustainable development outcomes. This involves several large, multi-agency projects whose goal is to provide essential information in support of sustainable marine economies. Kevin is a global authority on the physics and impacts of storm surges and the implications of climate change on sea-levels and is a visiting professor at the University of Liverpool. He has published extensively on all aspects of extreme sea levels, including tides, waves, storm surges and tsunamis, and is sought out to shape international agendas around sea level issues and coastal observing systems. His work maintains a strong focus on policy and socio-economic impact, helping to provide resilience and capacity to the world's most vulnerable regions.