{"id":60867,"date":"2026-06-08T15:50:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T15:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/?p=60867"},"modified":"2026-06-08T15:50:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T15:50:34","slug":"with-just-3-09-of-its-ocean-protected-senegals-coastal-communities-bring-proven-solutions-to-decision-makers-in-joal-fadiouth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/press\/60867\/with-just-3-09-of-its-ocean-protected-senegals-coastal-communities-bring-proven-solutions-to-decision-makers-in-joal-fadiouth\/","title":{"rendered":"With just 3.09% of its ocean protected, Senegal’s coastal communities bring proven solutions to decision-makers in Joal-Fadiouth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Joal-Fadiouth, 8 June 2026<\/em> \u2014 On World Ocean Day, coastal communities in Joal-Fadiouth joined forces with the AGIRE association, Greenpeace Africa, and the Department of Community Marine Protected Areas (DAMCP) to carry out a mangrove restoration activity and officially hand over the Global Ocean Justice Now<\/a> report. A document that makes the case for coastal communities as the backbone of marine conservation in Senegal.<\/p>\n\n

On the ground, women fish processors, artisanal fishers, young volunteers, and local actors replanted mangroves along the Joal-Fadiouth shoreline, a visible expression of a commitment to ocean protection that coastal communities have sustained for generations.<\/p>\n\n

“For decades, coastal communities have been restoring and protecting mangroves, not as a project, but as a condition of survival. What we are asking for today is recognition and support for this local expertise, so it can be strengthened and sustained,”<\/em> said Karim Sall, President of AGIRE.<\/p>\n\n

The report was simultaneously handed over to the authorities responsible for marine protected areas. Its central finding is clear: coastal communities have been protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for generations, yet these efforts remain insufficiently recognised, supported, and funded at the level of public policy.<\/p>\n\n

Senegal currently protects just 3.09% of its marine area. This is far short of the international target of 30% ocean protection by 2030. This gap comes at a defining moment, as the country finalises its updated National Biodiversity Strategy (NBSAP), which will set its environmental priorities for the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n

“We are at a turning point. As Senegal finalises its biodiversity strategy, it has an opportunity to fully integrate community-led solutions into its public policies. The evidence already exists. What is needed now is the political will to translate it into decisions,”<\/em> said Amadou Tour\u00e9, Ocean Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa.<\/p>\n\n

Community management models such as Community Marine Protected Areas (AMCPs) and ICCA territories, including Kawawana and Bamboung, demonstrate that conservation led by communities restores biodiversity, strengthens ecosystem resilience, and provides lasting support to coastal livelihoods.<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Notes to editors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

About Greenpeace Africa<\/strong> : Greenpeace Africa is an independent organisation working for environmental protection, climate justice, and the defence of communities most affected by ecological crises across the African continent.<\/p>\n\n

About AGIRE :<\/strong> AGIRE is a community-based organisation in Joal-Fadiouth, engaged since 2017 in restoring Rhizophora mangroves and protecting coastal ecosystems in collaboration with local communities.<\/p>\n\n

About the report :<\/strong> The Global Ocean Justice Now<\/em><\/a> report highlights the contributions of coastal communities to marine conservation and analyses the gap between Senegal’s international biodiversity commitments and the reality of ocean protection on the ground.<\/p>\n\n

Media contact:<\/strong> Ibrahima Ka NDOYE – West & Central Africa Communications Lead, indoye@greenpeace.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On World Ocean Day, coastal communities in Joal-Fadiouth joined forces with the AGIRE association, Greenpeace Africa, and the Department of Community Marine Protected Areas (DAMCP) to carry out a mangrove restoration activity and officially hand over the Global Ocean Justice Now report. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":60870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"not set","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"Oceans","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[46,50,28],"p4-page-type":[14],"class_list":["post-60867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-protecttheenvironment","tag-greenpeaceafrica","tag-senegal","tag-oceans","p4-page-type-press"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60867"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60872,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60867\/revisions\/60872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60867"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=60867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}