Distr. Restricted UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION Original Version: French PROJECT / PROGRAMME TO COMBAT THE LOSS OF LIVING RESOURCES AND THE DEGRADATION OF THE COASTAL AREA IN THE GUINEA CURRENT LAEGE MARINE ECOSYSTEM AREA Contract N° GP/RAF/04/004/11-B2 PROJECT FOR THE ESTABLISHEMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS IN BENIN (Pilot Project in the 16 Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem countries) Prepared for the Governments of Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome & Principe, Sierra Leone, and Togo by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with the cooperation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). FINAL REPORT By CEDED-ONG Project Director: Christian Susan, Environmental Management Branch, Program Development and Technical Cooperation Division This document has not yet been officially edited List of acronyms and abbreviations ABE Agence Béninoise pour l’Environnement (Benin Environmental Agency) MPA Marine Protected Area CA Chef d’Arrondissement CBRST Centre Béninois de Recherche Scientifique et Technique (Benin Scientific and Technical Research Center) CEDED Centre pour l’Environnement et le Développement Durable (Environment and Sustainable Development Research Center) CRHOB Centre de Recherche Halieutique et Océanologiques du Bénin (Benin Halieutic and Oceanographic Research Center) CV Chef de Village (Village Chief) DDEPN Direction Départementale de l’Environnement et de la Protection de la Nature (Regional Department of the Environment and Nature Conservation) DGE Direction Générale de l’Environnement (General Directorate of the Environment) EPP Ecole Primaire Publique (Public Primary School) FAST Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (Faculty of Sciences and Technology) GCLME Grands Ecosystème Marin du Courant de Guinée (Guinea Current Large Ecosystem) GIRMaC Gestion Intégrée des Ressources Marines et Côtières (Marine and Coastal Resources Integrated Management) GPS Global Positioning System MEPN Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Protection de la Nature (Ministry of the Environment and Nature Conservation) ONG Organisation Non Gouvernementale (Non Governmental Organisation) UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organisation TFP Technical and Financial Partner NR Natural Resources UAC Université d’Abomey – Calavi (University of Abomey-Calavi) UNAPECAB Union Nationale des Pêcheurs Continentaux du Bénin (Benin National Union of Continental Fishermen) UNAPEMAB Union Nationale des Pêcheurs Marins et Assimilés du Bénin (Benin National Union of Marine and Assimilated Fishermen) UNESCO Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’Education, la Science et la Culture (United Nations Education, Science, and Culture Organisation) 2 Executive summary The process of Marine Protected Areas establishment of as a whole lasted twelve months. The advances made in the conduct of the process from the beginning until today, have been effective through the completion of key activities around the main steps outlined in this report. It is important to remember that the study on the identification and description of Marines Protected Areas (MPA) conducted in 2007 was the basis for any significant technical approach that led to the development of the step reports and the final one. The program of awareness and sensitization of local populations and communities in the project area of MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE courses, from November 2009 to January 2010. However, awareness has continued as necessary during the conduct of other activities within the framework of the implementation of the mission. The practice of awareness and sensitization was conducted as a first step toward three targets like: the municipal councils (mayors and heads of districts); borough councils (district chief and village chiefs) and populations (heads of villages or neighborhoods, counselors and populations). The team implementing the project has traveled to that end, five municipalities, eight boroughs and twelve villages with the four identified sites. The realization of large-scale detailed mapping identified sites (1:5,000 - 1:10,000) for each of the four sites designated as validated and Marines Areas to protect highlighted the topography, vegetation, biodiversity, land use, density of population and population center of the sites in question and described as follows: (i) site Nazoumè - Bouche du Roy, (ii) site- Avlékété Togbin, (iii) site of Aire Marine d’Avlékété and finally (iv) at Lac Nokoué. Management plans and zoning of each site identified, the rest very capital was conducted on the basis of the work cited above and also on the basis of brief descriptions (physical characteristics, use conflicts, environmental issues management) each selected site. This has lead to the achievement of zoning plans highlighting the ecological sensitivities of each MPA. The delimitation and demarcation of physical AMP identified was conducted in a participatory momentum with a strong involvement of local communities. This helped to highlight the terrestrial boundaries and external areas selected. Furthermore, identification of buffer zones and free zones has also been, the subject of consultation with local populations. This participatory process has the merit to inform local communities, about the physical boundaries of MPAs, even if they are not all materialized for a number of technical considerations objects of current thinking. The action plan was prepared for horizon year 2011 and focuses on the activities and sub- activities to be undertaken to improve the articles on the socio-economic status of resident populations of marine protected areas, but also mostly part of a dynamic protection and restoration of resources and endangered species because of human pressures. Activities / sub activities include deductions contribute to achieving the following results: (i) to protect vulnerable species and habitats (biodiversity and ecosystems) (ii) protect the fragile life stages 3 (spawning and rearing), (iii) improving the productivity of fisheries in the region and raise fallen socio-economic benefits for local communities, (iv) improving the skills of local communities to enhance their autonomy in terms of organizational management institutional, technical and even financial. It was developed following a participatory approach that involved the local authorities concerned at different levels, administrative authorities and the beneficiaries themselves. The plan for monitoring and evaluation indicators for measurement will allow to account for the observed improvements in terms of protection / ecology at the AMP identified. This last phase of the process has highlighted, operational activities, management activities and the organizational and coordination for the implementation of activities. 4 Contents N° Page List of acronyms and abbreviations 2 Executive Summary 3 5 Contents 7 Introduction 9 1 CONTEXT, JUSTIFICATION AND INPUTS OF THE STUDY 11 1.1 Context and justification of the study 12 1.2 Objectives of the study 13 1.3 Tasks to be performed 13 1.4 Expected outcomes 14 2 MAIN ACTIVITIES PERFORMED AND METHODOLOGICAL 15 APPROACHES USED 2.1 Scoping of the mission and literature review 16 2.2 Implementation of the different phases of the mission 16 2.2.1 Development and implementation an education and 16 sensitization programme 2.2.2 Mapping of the marine areas to be protected 18 2.2.3 Development the management plans 19 2.2.4 Physical demarcation and delineation of the four sites 20 2.2.5 Development of action plans 22 2.2.6 Development of monitoring-evaluation plans 23 2.3 Drafting of interim and final reports of the study 24 2.4 Presentation of the experts team in charge of conducting 24 the study 3 OUTCOMES OBTAINED BY PHASE 26 3.1 Education and sensitization of stakeholders at various 27 levels 3.2 Defining the location of each MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 30 and development of detailed maps 3.3 Management plans and zoning plans of each 56 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 3.3.1 Establishment of institutional and regulatory mechanisms for 57 the MANAGEMENT COMMITTEEs management 3.3.2 Summary of the reference situation of each MANAGEMENT 62 COMMITTEE 3.3.3 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE management plan 67 3.3.4 Development of zoning plans 78 5 3.4 Physical demarcation and delineation of the sites 89 3.4.1 Nazoumè - Bouche du Roy site 90 3.4.2 Avlékété-Togbin site 95 3.4.3 Lake Nokoué site 100 3.4.4 Avlékété Marine Area site 104 3.5 Action Plan of the MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES for 2011 107 3.5.1 Community development activities 108 3.5.2 Management and coordination activities 132 3.6 Activities monitoring-evaluation plan for 2011 137 3.6.1 Context and justification of the monitoring-evaluation 138 3.6.2 Defining the monitoring-evaluation parameters 138 3.6.3 Operational activities monitoring-evaluation plan 142 3.6.4 Management and coordination activities monitoring-evaluation 168 plan 3.6.5 Organizing the implementation of the activities 172 3.6.5.1 Technical coordination of the project 173 3.6.5.2 Steering and Monitoring Committee 174 3.6.5.3 Content and use of reports 175 3.6.6 Evaluation 176 4 LESSONS LEARNED AND WEAKNESSES NOTED DURING 177 THE STUDY 4.1 Key lessons and good practices 178 4.2 Weaknesses noted 178 Conclusion and recommendations 180 6 Introduction The West African marine and coastal area has been marked by constraining trends characterized by an alarming degradation of the ecosystems, an overexploitation