Senegal and Mauritania advance marine conservation cooperation

Senegal and Mauritania are advancing environmental cooperation to protect highly productive marine ecosystems. In Dakar, an inter-state workshop was held to design a future transboundary marine conservation zone. This initiative targets the shared coastal area characterized by upwelling, a phenomenon that brings nutrient-rich deep waters to the surface, making it one of the world's most productive marine systems.

The workshop resulted in a budgeted one-year roadmap to establish common governance and conservation criteria. This includes the potential creation of a joint technical committee to manage the area's significant fishery resources and socio-economic interests.

Separately, preparations are underway for IMPAC6, the 6th International Congress on Marine Protected Areas, which will be held in Dakar in March 2027. This marks the first time the congress will be hosted on the African continent. Senegal's Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition, Aliou Gori Diouf, emphasized that the focus must shift from merely creating marine protected areas to ensuring their sustainable financing, effective governance, and integration into broader development policies to combat climate change and coastal erosion.