Growing Diversity – West Africa

TITLE OF EXPERIENCE: Conservation of aquatic biological diversity by the Imraguens fishermen

AUTHOR: Imraguen Community

COUNTRY AND REGION: Mauritania, Banc d'Arguin

ECOLOGICAL ZONE: Desert and coastal

ABSTRACT

The Imraguens live in an area with nine villages, made up in equal parts of coastal and inland regions, called Banc d'Arguin. This area represents a rare example of desert-ocean interaction. This unique coastal ecosystem enjoys a permanent upwelling, of nutritionally rich cold waters which rise up to the surface thus ensuring a high level of biological productivity with large populations of water birds, fish, invertebrates and marine mammals. This area is the bio-geographic crossroads where bird species and fish characterised by both temperate and tropical environments come together. The markings on the sea turtles are evidence of permanent exchange between populations in Mauritania and Guinea Bissau.

The Imraguens practice small scale fishing thanks to a remarkable traditional expertise, oriented to livelihoods, which makes this population the best defenders of the environment. But, under the influence of the outside world, there is a tendency to abandon tradition in favour of economic dependence on the outside world and to exclude women from productive activities which is contrary to traditional practice.

CONTACT:

Nalla Gaye – BP 1848 – Nouakchott – Mauritanie, Tél. 222 525 51 36 – Email : ngaye@caramail.com