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Nansen scientific expedition off Mauritania and Senegal 2021

Findings and recommendations for the management of offshore oil and gas development

Year of publication 2022

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 4p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Policy brief

ISBN 978-92-5-136730-8

Synopsis (short abstract) The EAF-Nansen Programme has supported partner countries in their efforts to implement sustainable fisheries since 1975. More recently, work besides fisheries has also been dedicated to addressing human-related pressures on marine ecosystems such as oil and gas exploitation activities, recognizing that these may also represent a major threat to fisheries and ecosystem sustainability. Increasing oil and gas exploitation activities in the absence of adequate monitoring programs represent a major source of concern. In this context, the EAF-Nansen Programme, with the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, supports partner countries with setting baselines as the basis for monitoring systems in support of environmental management in areas where oil and gas activities are being developed. Following up upon request by the Governments of Mauritania and Senegal, a survey was organized between 22 October and 16 November 2021 with the main objective of developing a baseline for future monitoring of possible impacts of oil and gas activities at sea in the region between 17º and 15º south. The sampling scheme was planned to be in line with the Guidelines for Monitoring the Environmental Impact of Offshore Oil and Gas Activities by the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. Preliminary results are already available from bottom habitat mapping and are presented in this policy brief because of their relevance to the ongoing developments in gas exploitation in Mauritania and in Senegal.

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2022. Nansen scientific expedition off Mauritania and Senegal 2021 – Findings and recommendations for the management of offshore oil and gas development. Rome.

https://doi.org/10.4060/cc1346en

Language English

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