TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................5 GENERAL OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................................5 1.1 EXTENT OF THE COASTAL AREA...................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 2: COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS ..............................................................................................6 2.1 ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEM ..............................................................................................................7 2.2 COASTAL TERRESTRIAL HABITATS ...................................................................................................7 2.3 MANGROVE FORESTS:.........................................................................................................................7 2.4 COASTAL WETLANDS: ..................................................................................................................8 2.5 INTER - TIDAL ECOSYSTEM...........................................................................................................9 2.6 OCEANIC ECOSYSTEM.................................................................................................................10 2.6.1 Rocky shore and hard bottom .............................................................................................10 Seagrass beds......................................................................................................................................11 2.6.3 Sediment/Soft-bottom habitats .................................................................................................11 2.7 COASTAL PELAGIC HABITATS AND UPWELLING AREAS ...................................................................11 2.8 MPORTANT ECOLOGICAL SITES.........................................................................................12 CHAPTER 3: SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN AND FLAGSHIP SPECIES ............................14 3.1 MARINE &COASTAL ENVRIRONMENT CHARACTERISTICS.........................................14 3.2 THE BIODIVERSITY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COASTAL AND MARINE HABITATS ...15 COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS .............................................................................................................15 3.2.2 OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENT ..............................................................................................16 3.2.3 THE SOUTHERN COASTAL ZONE ....................................................................................16 MARINE MAMMALS..........................................................................................................................17 Cetaceans............................................................................................................................................17 TABLE 1: updated cetacean species check list for the Gambia (from WAFCET 2)...........................18 3..3.2 TURTLES ............................................................................................................................20 3.3.3 WEST AFRICAN MANATEE ..............................................................................................21 3.3.4 SHORE BIRDS...........................................................................................................................22 3.3.5 Marine System.....................................................................................................................23 3.3.6 Coastal Shoreline................................................................................................................23 3.3.7 Estuary and Mangroves ......................................................................................................23 3.4 PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS................................................................................................23 3.4.1 Integrated Coastal and Marine Conservation and Management (ICAM) ..........................23 3..4.2 Regional Coastal and Marine Conservation Programme for West Africa (PRCM)...........24 3.5 GAPS ................................................................................................................................................25 3.6 CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................25 3.6.1 MAMMALS ................................................................................................................................26 3.6.2 BIRDS (Avifauna) ...............................................................................................................26 CHAPTER 4: COASTAL COMMUNITIES .........................................................................................27 4.0 INTRODUCTION (OVERVIEW OF DISTRIBUTION, LAND USE, CULTURAL GROUPINGS/INDIGENOUS GROUPS, ETC)..................................................................................................27 4.0.1 Land use.....................................................................................................................................27 1 4.1 POPULATION DYNAMICS (DEMOGRAPHICS, MIGRATION ETC)...........................................................27 4.1.1 Population and Ethnic Groups .................................................................................................27 4.3 ACCESS TO SOCIAL SERVICES (INCLUDING, HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, SOCIAL SECURITY, WATER AND SANITATION, COMMUNICATIONS, POLITICAL INFLUENCE, ETC.).....................................................28 4.3.1 Health Facilities........................................................................................................................28 4.3.2 Sanitation ..................................................................................................................................28 4.3.3 Education ..................................................................................................................................29 4. 3.4 Housing conditions ..................................................................................................................29 4.3.5 Water supply .............................................................................................................................29 4.3.7 Electricity...................................................................................................................................29 4.3.8 Road-Transport..........................................................................................................................29 4.4 GENDER EQUITY ................................................................................................................................30 4.5 ECONOMIC STATUS AND RESOURCES USE (WEALTH DISTRIBUTION AND POVERTY LEVELS WITHIN THE COASTAL POPULATIONS , RESOURCE USE AND ACCESS, ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES ACCORDING TO GROUPINGS WITH REFERENCE TO CHAPTER 5)...................................................................................30 4.5.1 Coastal Tourism.........................................................................................................................30 4.5.2 AGRICULTURE ................................................................................................................................31 4.5.3 Shipping and Ports.....................................................................................................................31 4.5.5 Aquaculture................................................................................................................................31 4.5.6 Fisheries....................................................................................................................................32 4.5.7 Governance................................................................................................................................32 4.5.8 POLITICS .........................................................................................................................................33 4.5.9 Mining........................................................................................................................................33 4.5.10 Forestry....................................................................................................................................33 4.5.11 Other development and economic activities ............................................................................33 CHAPTER 5: ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................34 5.1 COASTAL TOURISM ...............................................................................................................34 Summary of tourist arrival by month 2000-2005................................................................................35 5.2 COASTAL ECOTOURISM .......................................................................................................35 AGRICULTURE..................................................................................................................................37 5.4 SHIPPING AND PORTS...............................................................................................................38 5.5 FISHERIES.......................................................................................................................................39