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activities occur in The Gambia, where USAIDBaNafaa focuses on the artisanal nearshore fisheries along the Atlantic coastline as well as the estuarine- and mangrove-dominated portions
of The Gambia River see Figure 1. A sister project in Senegal, called the Wula Nafaa project, is working on fisheries management in the Saloum Delta and Casamance River. Together, these
two USAID-supported initiatives are expected to have a significant impact on improved management of this biodiversity-rich area.
Figure 1: Figure 1. Areas of Biodiversity Significance in the WAMER and The Gambia River Estuary and Atlantic Coast
2. Summary of Accomplishments to Date
The Year 4 Annual Report documents recent project achievements in detail. Key project accomplishments since 2009 are highlighted below. For a summary of project results relative to
performance indicators as of the end of Year 4 and targets for Year 5, see Appendix A.
1. An approved
Fishery Co-Management Plan for The Gambia Sole Complex in January 2012,
bringing 121,245 ha under improved management the Atlantic Coast of The Gambia out to 9 nautical miles.
The plan designates exclusive use rights to the sole fishery within this zone to the National Sole Fishery Co-Management Committee NASCOM and specifies a
seasonal closure of one nautical mile from the coastline for all fishing from May1 through October 31 for all fish species and gear types. This is in addition to a minimum fish size, a
minimum mesh size and a ban on the use of drift nets for the mouth of The Gambia River.
2. A successful participatory, eco-system-based co-management planning process that resulted
in the Co-Management Plan and included the following achievements among others:
6 •
Action research and technical studies including, sole spawning hotspot mapping, local ecological knowledge, otolith studies, a by-catch study, a fish identification guide, a
gillnet study, updated stock assessment, a value chain study, exchange visits on fish processing and a Gambia-Senegal Comparative Costs study, among others.
• Management committees established and actively participating in planning processes
LACOMS and NASCOM. NASCOM legally registered in The Gambia. •
Agreement with the Marine Stewardship Council MSC on accelerated movement towards international certification of a sustainable Gambian sole fisheries product.
3. Implementation of the approved plan over the last 20 months, including institutionalization
of the processes articulated in the plan for continued and active engagement of stakeholders: •
Registration of NASCOM, establishment of an office and a bank account, training in administrative and financial management and finalization of a Standard Operating
Procedures Manual and Business Plan.
• Hosting by NASCOM of the first annual review meeting for the Sole Co-Management
Plan in October 2012. •
Annual Sole Stock Assessment updates for 2012 and 2013 2013 final report pending. •
Outreach by NASCOM to fishing communities and local authorities about the Co- Management Plan and the 1 nm seasonally closed area.
• Implementation of the closure starting on May 1, 2013 through October. Deployment
by NASCOM of 42 locally made spar buoys to mark the area. •
Monitoring and enforcement, including local fishermen engaging their own resources to accompany local authorities. As of September 2013, NASCOM has begun to receive
penalty payments for noncompliance with the closed area.
• Private sector engagement: Donation of 100,000 Euros to NASCOM by German
Seafood Company Kaufland to support further progress towards MSC certification. Demonstrated commitment by Atlantic Seafood Company in The Gambia to collect and
share data for stock assessment.
• Adaptive Management: The following research has been conducted. Resulting
recommendations will be considered for approval at the 2
nd
annual co-management plan review meeting in November 2013:
Completion of a Mesh Size Gillnet Study in 2013 report pending as
recommended by the 2012 annual co-management plan review meeting to test the effectiveness of a further increase in the minimum mesh size from 40mm to 42-
46mm. The recommendation is to increase minimum mesh size.
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Local Ecological Knowledge and Scientific Knowledge of Catfish was documented and reviewed by stakeholders in Year 4. An Amendment to the Sole
Fishery Co-Management Plan to expand its scope to a Multi-Species Plan including Catfish has been drafted for consideration.
4. An approved
Cockle and Oyster Fishery Co-Management Plan for the Tanbi Wetlands National Park Special Management Area
in January 2012 bringing 6,304 ha under improved management the entire Tanbi Wetlands National Park. The plan designates TRY Oyster
Women’s Association as having exclusive use rights in this area, specifies an extended closed season to allow oysters to grow to a larger size before harvesting and identifies gear
restrictions to reduce damage to mangroves during harvesting.
5. A successful participatory, eco-system-based co-management planning processes that
resulted in the Co-Management Plan and included the following achievements among others: •
Action research and technical studies including, a Participatory Rural Apraisal PRA, spat settlement studies, oyster aquaculture pilots, a value chain study, exchange visits on
fish processing, water quality monitoring of the Tanbi harvesting areas and regular shoreline shellfish sanitation surveys showing high potential for a shellfish sanitation
program to open new markets.
• TRY Community Management Committees established and actively participating in
planning processes. •
Institutional strengthening grants to the TRY women’s oyster harvesters association to establish business and fundraising strategies, a Standard Operating Procedures manual,
conduct an audit, and benefit from administrative and financial management training.
• TRY outreach and fundraising event in 2011 attended by more than 250 non-TRY
participants including the US Ambassador and the President of The Gambia. Raised 100,000 GMD, 20 scholarships for TRY children and significantly increased awareness
of efforts to sustainably manage the oyster fishery.
• 250 women oyster harvesters participating in a Micro-Credit Scheme
• TRY selected as a UNDP Equator Prize winner in 2012.
6. Implementation of the approved plan over the last 20 months, including:
• Compliance with the 8 month closed season in 2012 and 2013
• Mangrove planting 33.5ha
• UNDP funding leveraged for processing activities
• GEF, British Council and Taiwanese funding leveraged for rack culture scale up
8 •
Hosting by TRY of the first annual review meeting for the Oyster and Cockle Co- Management Plan in January 2013. The meeting sparked a daily call-in segment on local
radio featuring TRY’s activities to sustainably manage the oyster fishery that continued for a week due to public interest.
• Market survey of hotels
• Biological sampling of oysters at sales points
• Health and literacy classes for TRY members, linking them to local health services and
service providers. 80 of trainees accessed services as a result of the training. •
15 TRY daughters complete TRY’s 2 year skills training program, including health topics.
• Adaptive Management: In FY13 TRY members reconsidered the difficulties of the
extended eight month closed season and voted on a proposal to change the season and to reduce it. After consideration of available information and results to date, they
overwhelmingly decided to maintain the closure as specified in the approved plan.
7. A bi-lateral Oyster and Cockle Co-Management planning process initiated in the Allahein
River estuary on the border of The Gambia and Southern Senegal Cassamance. Allahein Kafo, a joint management body is being formed by stakeholders.
8. The first Bilateral Gambia-Senegal Fisheries Co-Management Workshop held in 2012.
9. A
Bilateral Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and a
Stakeholder Workshop where 18
government and civil society institutions from Senegal and The Gambia identified priorities for a Bilateral Climate Change Adaptation initiative submitted to USAIDWA in July 2012.
10. Water and sanitation infrastructure, training and community WASH management plans at
two of six priority fish landing and oyster harvesting sites almost complete public water connections being finalized. Two additional sites nearing completion.
11. DoFish staff trained in Fish Biology, leadership, stock assessment, and 2 completed BS
degree programs in Nigeria. These are among the 1,716 people trained to date, 72 of whom were women.
12. Sharing of The Gambia Co-Management experience, by TRY, NASCOM, The Gambia Government and USAIDBaNafaa internationally in Africa, Europe, the US and Globally.
Activities range from French translation and sharing of the Co-Management Plans with Senegal, to participation of the USAIDBaNafaa Project Manager in the Ghana Sustainable
Fisheries Management Dialogue, to TRY participation in Rio+20, among many others.
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3. Year Five Activities
