Gambia News : Gambian govt validates regional mangrove charter

Mar 28,2010 00:00 by lamin

Gambia's Forestry Department and the West African Mangro ve Initiative Project (WAMI) have concluded a validation exercise of a "draft regional mangrove charter and sustainable management of mangrove ecosystem action plan", PANA reported Friday.

Speaking on the exercise, Gambia's Environment/Forestry Minister, Jatto Sillah, highlighted the importance of and link between mangrove forests and marine life.

He said mangroves served as a home for marine mammals, migratory birds and other creatures, thereby making them very useful and should therefore be protected.

Sillah also stressed the important role played by mangroves regarding the growth of fishery sector in the sub-region as well as preventing erosion, among other things.

WAMI is an initiative funded by the Swiss Mava Foundation and jointly implemented by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Wetlands International.

Five West African countries - The Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau and Guinea are part of the WAMI initiative.