Intermediate Results 3 and 4: Life of Project Accomplishments

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2.3 Intermediate Results 3 and 4:

Nursery areas and spawning areas for critical life stages of commercially important species and for associated marine turtles and mammals are protected Change unsustainable and destructive marine resource use practices that threaten improved biodiversity conservation in the West Africa Marine Ecoregion. Traditional Ecological Knowledge obtained from the fishers at landing site level and also from community meetings and training workshops as part of the co-management planning process has confirmed that the sole fish come annually from deep waters to shallow waters and into the estuary to spawn, and juveniles tend to stay in shallow waters close to the shore until they are mature enough to go inhabit deep waters. This is true for most species and the fishers have asserted that the spawning periods for the majority of marine fish species is between May and October the onset of the rainy season and the end of the rainy season in The Gambia. The consensus among fishers to declare area closure for all fisheries of 1 nautical mile from the shoreline for 6 months May to October each year is a management measure that will allow fish to spawn and juvenile fish to grow without being targeted for capture. It should also be noted that by-catch studies for the sole fishery showed that marine turtles and mammals are not at risk from the sole fishery in The Gambia. In the Oyster and Cockle Co-Management Plan for the Tanbi Wetlands National Park seasonal closure for oyster harvesting is specified during the spawning season and has been extended for longer than was previously practiced to reduce the take of juvenile oysters. The co-management plan also specifies gear restrictions that are designed to reduce damage to mangroves during the Key Achievements Implementation of the Fishery Co-Management Plan for The Gambia Sole Complex see IR1. • 121,245 ha under improved management the entire Atlantic Coast of The Gambia out to 9 nm • Seasonal closure for all species and gear types out to 1 nautical mile from May to October • Fish size limits and gear restrictions. • Amendment to increase mesh size limits from the current 80mm to 92mm and to integrate marine Catfish signed in December 2013. Implementation of Oyster and Cockle Fishery Co-Management Plan for the Tanbi Special Management Area see IR1. o 6,304 ha under improved management the entire Tanbi Wetlands National Park o Seasonal Closure for Oysters from July to February 8 months o Gear restrictions for mangrove protection o Mangrove reforestation o Shellfish size limits o Shellfish Sanitation Planning, including bi-weekly water quality testing , bi-annual shoreline sanitation surveys and provisional water quality classification zones identified and mapped. Improved biophysical conditions in areas under improved management generally showing positive trends 57 harvesting process. As specified in the co-management plan, TRY is also undertaking mangrove reforestation efforts. The Shoreline Shellfish Sanitation Planning process, including water quality testing and comprehensive Shoreline Sanitation Surveys for the Tanbi undertaken at regular intervals provide critical information about pollution hotspots in this protected mangrove ecosystem. They have already resulted in concrete actions that have improved management of this protected area. Figure 47. 121,245 hectares under improved management for the artisanal sole and marine catfish fishery out to 9nm. Figure 47. 6,304 hectares under improved management for the oyster and cockle fishery in the Tanbi 58

3. Sustainability

The perspective for the sustainability of participatory, ecosystem-based co-management of the sole and oyster and cockle fisheries in The Gambia is strong as USAIDBaNafaa project assistance ends. At the beneficiary level: The project Closeout Workshop was a day-long event in March 2014. Seventy-nine participants 45 male and 34 female from 25 organizations attended. Opening remarks highlighted the concept that the end of the USAIDBaNafaa project represents the beginning of a new phase of engagement for Gambian stakeholders to take the lead in continuing and expanding upon the sustainable fisheries management efforts developed so successfully with project assistance. Figure 48. The TRY Coordinator facilitates a discussion of TRY achievements in partnership with the USAIDBaNafaa Project Stakeholders and beneficiaries gave powerful personal testimony, illustrating the impacts they have experienced as a result of the project. A few examples that speak to the transformation of attitudes at the individual level and collectively at the community level facilitated by the project are as follows: • Kadiatou Jallow, Brufut landing site artisanal fish processor and officer of NASCOM, spoke about how she has an education and how education is not only good for office jobs. Her education has enabled her to be a strong leader in the fish processing and drying business that she inherited from her mother. She is able to read and write and apply knowledge gained from working with initiatives like the USAIDBaNafaa Project to make a difference in her community and for the sustainability of fisheries livelihoods, “My knife is my pen…”