Summary of Accomplishments to Date

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2. Summary of Accomplishments to Date

Major accomplishments in the first and second year of the project are provided below. For a summary of project results relative to performance indicators, see Appendix A. Capacity Building • Exchanges between fishermen and women from The Gambia and Senegal to learn about effective co-management approaches, oyster aquaculture and for value chain improvements • Institutional strengthening grants to the TRY women’s oyster harvesters association to establish business and fundraising strategies • Over 921stakeholders in government and private sector trained in fisheries management, leadership, stock assessment and fishery biology, water quality, and microcredit systems • Over 250 persons benefiting economically from assistance packages provided • 250 women oyster harvesters participating in a Micro-Credit Scheme • Regional Climate Change awareness raising and strategy workshop in Senegal for representatives from each of the seven countries of the Commission Sous-Régionale des Pêches CSRP. 11 Tanbi Wetlands and the Oyster Harvesters • Co-management planning processes in the Tanbi mangrove protected area, involving 500 women harvesters and several government agencies has produced a final co-management plan ready for approval by the Government and TRY. • Management committees established and actively participating in planning processes. • Development of improved oyster products by the TRY Oyster Harvesters Association that allows for sale of products through the closed harvest season. • Water quality monitoring of the Tanbi wetlands and bivalve harvesting areas has determined health risks are low and within international standards, which provides potential for starting a shellfish sanitation program that could open new markets for freshraw products. • Establishment of a TRY Centre as Headquarter. • TRY Business Plan prepared. • TRY Association awarded a GEF Grant for mangrove rehabilitation and nourishment. • TRY fundraising event 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 girls and significantly increased awareness of efforts to sustainably manage the oyster fishery. • Extended closed season resulting in larger sized oysters and improved prices for oysters sold. Figure 2. Tanbi National Park The Sole Fishery • Management committees established and actively participating in planning processes LACOMS and NASCOM. • Agreement with the Marine Stewardship Council on accelerated movement towards international certification of a sustainable Gambian sole fisheries product • Draft Sole Fishery Co-management Plan near final form and shortly ready for approval. 12 • Value chain analysis completed to identify ways to improve incomes in the post-harvest chain. • Data for stock assessment completed and a reassessment of the sole fishery shows that the fishery is not overfished • Sole Hotspots mapped, linking LEK Local Ecological Knowledge and SK Scientific Knowledge. • Sole By-Catch species identification guide final and ready for publication. Figure 3. Locations of actual sole fishing from major landing sites 13

3. Year Three Activities