Researching and reducing threats to Senegal’s marine mammals and turtles
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Partnership
VALUE £9,992
WHERE Senegal
Summary
The resultant project will combine field research and community and stakeholder outreach to benefit wildlife and people. Research will increase understanding of threats to cetacean, sea turtle and manatee species in Senegal. Community outreach will work to reduce these threats, provide local communities opportunities to participate in conservation and learn about the dangers of consuming marine mammals and turtles. Cetaceans, manatees and marine turtles face the same threats in Senegal: bycatch, pollution, directed hunts, prey depletion. Rapid population growth and declining fish catches are undermining traditional reluctance to consume them while opportunistic consumption of bycaught animals is evolving into commercial markets. These pressures are likely to increase as human populations expand.