Summary
BACoMaB is a sustainable financing instrument for the conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity in Mauritania.
The Banc d’Arguin and Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Trust Fund (BACoMaB) is a sustainable financing instrument for the conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity in Mauritania. It guarantees the sustainable coverage of recurring costs of priority conservation activities for marine and coastal protected areas, included in their development and management plans: surveillance, governance, ecological monitoring and restoration, development of resident populations and environmental education.
BACoMaB is currently operating on three sites: Banc d’Arguin National Park (PNBA) and Diawling National Park (PND) to support MPAs and the Seal Coast Reserve as part of the Monk Seal Conservation Program (PCPM). In 2024, BACoMaB awarded a total grant of 840,000 euros to these three sites, including 530,000 to the PNBA, 190,000 to the PND and 120,000 to the PCPM.
In 2024, the effectiveness of maritime surveillance will help combat illegal fishing and intrusions by large canoes equipped with purse seines. 528 sea patrols were carried out, totaling 2,571 hours of surveillance, with the boarding of 259 canoes and 5 traditional boats that were diverted to various surveillance sites. To strengthen the PNBA’s surveillance system, the BACoMaB granted the PNBA €150,000 in 2024 for the acquisition of a new surveillance boat.
The PNBA grant also enabled the implementation of routine ecological monitoring activities through the management efficiency dashboard, the holding of the Scientific Council and consultation meetings around shared governance and co-management. As part of supporting the living conditions of the populations, the BACoMaB contributed to covering the operating costs of water desalination plants in the villages.
BACoMaB is co-financing a project with BRIDGE Project Innovation Fund to valorize blue carbon at the PNBA, which was officially launched on September 30, 2024. The Banc d’Arguin ecosystems are home to some of the largest areas of seagrass beds in the world, which constitute blue carbon sinks. According to recent studies, these ecosystems have the capacity to store more than 30 million tons of carbon per year, which represents considerable potential for the fight against climate change. This project will highlight the real carbon storage potential of seagrass beds at the PNBA and quantify its value on the global carbon market to enable Mauritania to meet its 2030 commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Regarding the Diawling National Park, routine activities of hydrological monitoring, waterbird counting, surveillance and support for local populations were supported.
Thanks to financial support from BACoMaB, the monk seal conservation program has seen a significant increase in the number of newborns, reaching 44 in 2024.
In addition, the monk seal translocation project to Cap Alzaz, at the PNBA, has been implemented. This project aims to relocate part of the monk seal population from Banc Blanc to a more secure area of the PNBA. Indeed, these animals face several threats in the Cap Blanc caves, including coastal erosion, which risks causing their collapse, as well as overpopulation of the current colony.
The year 2024 marked the organization of a national conference on the challenges of marine and coastal biodiversity management in Mauritania. This event brought together all national stakeholders in the marine environment and conservation, as well as prominent international experts, to discuss the challenges and prospects related to this issue.
Furthermore, BACoMaB participated in COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, by organizing three side events: Strategy and vision of marine protected areas in Mauritania, Presentation of the Bridge project, focused on the valorization of blue carbon from the PNBA and BBNJ and its challenges in Mauritania.