the relatively low biodiversity of the BCLME. Low biodiversity has been attributed to the extremely variable nature of the marine environment at a range of temporal and spatial scales, which favours generalists over specialists The Benguela is particularly productive in terms of fisheries resources – especially small pelagic fish – but top predators such as seabirds and marine mammals are also abundant. Commercial fisheries and the extraction of non-living natural resources such as oil and gas, diamonds and other minerals, are the focus of industrial activities in the region. It is estimated that coastal and marine resources contribute approximately US$269 billion per year to the economies of Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Angola is the second largest producer of oil in Sub-Saharan Africa (after Nigeria) and dominates the oil and gas industry in the BCLME. The country's economy is almost entirely dependent on oil production, with oil exports accounting for approximately 98 percent of government revenues in 2011 according to the International Monetary Fund. Industrial fishing also makes an important contribution to the economy of the region and small-scale artisanal fisheries provide a living for thousands of Angolans and South Africans. In Namibia, more than 20 species are fished commercially and approximately 90% of the catch is exported. The fishing industry employs 13,700 people (2003 figures). There are very few small-scale/artisanal fishers in Namibia, but recreational fishing is a popular sport and a major attraction for coastal tourists. In Angola, at least 25,000 coastal people work as artisanal fishers, while an estimated 80,000 people – mostly women – prepare and sell the artisanal catch and are therefore dependent on fishing for their livelihoods. The South African fishing industry is very diverse. The country's fishing fleet ranges in size from small rock lobster dinghies, to highly sophisticated freezer trawlers. The small pelagic fishery for sardine and anchovy is the largest fishery by volume, while the deep-sea trawling industry is the largest by value. This fishery targets the Cape hakes. Artisanal fishers operate along the entire South African coast, harvesting a wide variety of species including linefish, mussels, oysters, ascidians and common periwinkles. Various species of seaweed form the basis of a small industry that produces alginate products and feed for aquaculture operations. The nearshore and shelf environments of the Benguela Current region hold rich reserves of minerals, particularly diamonds. Namibia is world-renowned for the gem quality diamonds that occur along the