Drafting a roadmap for Marine Protected Areas

Collaborative engagement

SENEGAL: A three-day workshop highlighted the importance of managing Senegal’s Marine Protected Areas (MPA) as vital assets for conserving biodiversity and advancing the region’s blue economy.

The workshop, held in Dakar, was jointly organised by the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs of Senegal and the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Participants, including representatives from key ministries, departments, civil society, youth, and private sector, engaged in technical plenaries and breakout working groups.

Speaking during the opening session, Abdou Aziz Ndiaye, Deputy Director in charge of Marine Protected Areas, emphasised the national importance of MPAs, stating, “Our MPAs are more than zones of protection; they are vital assets for biodiversity conservation and the sustainable development of our communities. This roadmap will guide us toward more coherent and participatory governance.”

Seeking to establish implementable outputs, the workshop agreed on institutional roles and coordination mechanisms within a consolidated draft roadmap and governance guidelines for national MPAs that proposed immediate steps for integrating the roadmap into national policy frameworks.

“Senegal is setting an example for the region.”

“Senegal is setting an example for the region. The African Union, through AU-IBAR, is proud to support this process in the context of the Africa Blue Economy Strategy and the broader goal of conserving aquatic biodiversity across our shared waters,” said Philippe Ouedraogo, representing Dr Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR.

Dr Namadou Goudiaby, Director of Cabinet in the Ministry of Fisheries and Infrastructures, representing the Minister, echoed the urgency for action: “Senegal’s leadership in aquatic biodiversity must be matched with effective governance structures and stakeholder inclusion. The Ministry is fully committed to ensuring the roadmap emerging from this workshop is implemented in full.”

The meeting was part of the broader AU-IBAR-led initiative, Conserving Aquatic Biodiversity in African Blue Economy, a project funded by SIDA and designed to improve regulatory frameworks and institutional capacities in African Union Member States.

One session, led by AU-IBAR’s aquatic biodiversity specialist Joel Mokenye, provided an overview of the continental project, followed by insights into the Africa Blue Economy Strategy from Dr Mohamed Seisay. A pivotal moment was the presentation of findings from a regional study on existing MPAs, which offered a blueprint of lessons learned and underscored the urgent need to address governance gaps, particularly in areas of conflict resolution, management staffing, and legal coherence.

The final plenary concluded with a strong sense of ownership and collective responsibility, marking the workshop not as an endpoint but a critical milestone in Senegal’s marine conservation journey. The event concluded with closing remarks from AU-IBAR, ECOWAS, and the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, reiterating support for full implementation of the recommendations.

As Senegal moves forward with its commitment to sustainable marine resource management, the outcomes of this national consultation offer a clear and participatory pathway for protecting one of its most valuable assets – its marine ecosystems

Photo: Group photo of participants.