South Africa should ratify a convention with Namibia and Angola that will see these countries jointly plan and oversee the considerable marine resources they share, and which underpin their marine mining, oil and gas extraction, fishing, shipping and tourism industries, Parliament’s water and environmental affairs committee heard.

The Benguela Current Large Ecosystem, reaching from South Africa’s Port Elizabeth to Angola’s Cabinda province, is considered to be one of the most productive in the world, providing an estimated annual $269bn in "ecosystem services" — the benefits derived from ecosystems — to the three countries.

Namibia ratified the Benguela Current Convention earlier this year at a ceremony at which South African Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa made a strong commitment to ratify it, as did Angola.

The convention also established the Benguela Current Commission, a permanent intergovernmental organisation tasked with ensuring the industrial development of the ecosystem’s resources progresses in an environmentally responsible manner, and that the countries work together to minimise pollution; harmonise maritime policies, laws and regulations; and monitor and manage fisheries.

Once all three countries have ratified the convention, it will be the world’s first large marine ecosystem-based conservation commission.

The commission’s executive secretary, Hashali Hamukuaya, said once the convention was ratified, all three countries would "work together to implement the convention, for example jointly put measures to prevent pollution that may occur between two of the parties".

Ms Molewa has previously said that the convention’s signing earlier this year was the culmination of "many years of research, consultation and negotiation".

Rhodes University ichthyologist and fisheries science expert Kevern Cochrane, previously the director of the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s resources use and fisheries and aquaculture conservation division, said the convention and commission were "very important developments" that were "at the forefront" of regional initiatives to manage the exploitation of ocean resources.

"Hopefully ratification will follow reasonably soon," he said.

Department of Environmental Affairs oceans and coasts director Zolile Nqayi said he did not know when this might happen. Once the parliamentary committee has recommended the convention for ratification, it will be tabled in Parliament.

Already the convention’s management board has approved the start of work on spatial planning for the ecosystem, and has analysed the ecological, socioeconomic and transboundary issues that affect it.