The magic of mangroves
For the environment, mangrove forests are a crossroads for ocean, continental and instream ecosystems.
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With backing from FAO and the Coastal Fisheries Initiatives, communities are on a mission to save natural habitats like mangroves to safeguard their local environments. ©FAO/Yacine Cissé
“We go to look for oysters in the mangroves to feed our families and for business. This is how I make a living. If I work for two to three days, I can earn money to cover my expenses,” says Fatou Sarr, President of the Women Transformers Group of Diamniadio, a cooperative and producers’ organization that supports small-scale oyster producers.
Entrepreneurs like Fatou are on a quest to save natural habitats, like the species-rich mangroves located in the Siné Saloum Delta – a UNESCO World Heritage site – in central Senegal. These biodiverse environments are the breeding grounds for the fish and marine species on which local communities depend.
“In the mangroves, we find many varieties of fish. We Niominka, know the importance of the mangroves, that's why we don't destroy them,” Fatou said of her local fishing collective made up of people from Senegal’s third largest indigenous group, the Niominka. Mangroves are sacred to them, and they are committed to protecting their heritage for both social and financial reasons.
Further south in the Delta, mangroves hold the same importance for Birama Diouf from Foundiougne, a main hub on the Siné Saloum river.
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