Senegal has a 718 km coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, 70% of Senegal's inhabitants live in coastal areas (with a population of approximately 16.9 million and a growth rate of 2.57% in 2022). This population concentration places immense pressure on coastal resources and environmental services, as 90% of the nation's industrial infrastructure is also located in these regions.
Fishing is a vital industry in Senegal, employing about 17% of the population and serving as a critical protein source while also providing cultural benefits. However, challenges such as overfishing, Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, and environmental degradation threaten the sustainability of concentrated industrial fishing.
Introduction
The Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) in Senegal is delivered under the UK Government's Blue Planet Fund, which is designed to assist developing countries in managing their marine environments sustainably. This is being accomplished through mechanisms that also serve to enhance livelihoods and reduce poverty through technical assistance, capacity building, and policy support.
The OCPP team for Senegal have identified several thematic priorities for work to support Senegal in effectively managing human activities that impact the marine environment and ensure that all of their citizens can benefit from its long-term sustainable use. These include enhancing technical knowledge and capacity within key government ministries, improving data collection and analysis for better marine resource management, increasing resilience in coastal communities through capacity building, and supporting the development and implementation of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). Activities include training, knowledge exchange, support for data collection, and community engagement to ensure effective management, monitoring, and sustainable use of Senegal's marine resources.
JNCC’s Senegal OCPP Work Areas
Through OCPP JNCC's efforts have focused on supporting the identification and designation of offshore MPAs, scaling up capacity building for coastal MPAs, and developing communication materials to raise awareness about the benefits of MPAs. Additionally, the programme aims to establish a long-term financing system for the national MPA network, promote best practices in environmental assessments for the oil and gas sector, and increase awareness of MPAs among local elected officials. Future plans include continuing support for the implementation of offshore MPAs, engaging stakeholders, conducting capacity-building workshops, and developing a data platform to streamline MPA data collection and sharing.
The below headings summarise some of the current and past work areas undertaken across the biodiversity and emergency response themes of the OCPP which JNCC work on in partnership with the Government of Senegal.
Outputs from these work areas can be viewed in the Resources section when they become available.
Offshore MPA Framework
The Division of Community-Based MPAs (DAMCP), the entity in charge of MPAs in Senegal, have communicated their intent on expanding their successful network of coastal MPAs to the offshore, an area with increased use from the fisheries and energy sector.
To support this ask, OCPP conducted a series of workshops in November 2023. An initial Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) workshop allowed OCPP to understand challenges of integrating offshore MPAs in a space with multiple users. Additional workshops focused on the implementation cycle of MPAs, involving interactive activities and engagement from different stakeholders, covering the first steps to developing a roadmap for offshore MPAs. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) best practise workshop provided a background on the importance of EIAs in the context of oil and gas expansion which allowed scoping of future work to support Senegal’s.
These workshops aimed to build capacity among key stakeholders, enhance technical knowledge, and foster collaboration. Site visits to community-based MPAs at provided practical examples of successful MPA management and highlighted the importance of community involvement in conservation efforts in Senegal.
The series of workshops fed into the design of an offshore MPA framework guidance, to support the ambition of the Government in expanding their MPAs beyond the coastal zone. The framework is split in three parts, including a guidance of aspects to consider for implementation, a template, and a range of case studies. Next steps will include support for the implementation of the framework and the establishment of offshore MPAs.
Marine Pollution Emergency Response
The OCPP is supporting the Haute Autorité Chargée De La Coordination De La Sécurité Maritime De La Sûreté Maritime Et De La Protection De L’environnement Marin (HASSMAR) to enhance their preparedness for emergency response to offshore industry-related activities. The project involves reviewing and updating Senegal's National Marine Emergency Response Plan and dispersant use policy, providing technical response training, and ensuring the completion and digital availability of Senegal’s Sensitivity Atlas. Additionally, the programme aims to strengthen regional collaboration for marine pollution emergency response and address any gaps within existing projects.
Resources
Published pieces of work associated with the listed activities undertaken through the OCPP-Senegal Government partnership can be found in this section and will be added throughout the programme.
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