A report on the second project of the West African Cetacean Research and Conservation Programme (WAFCET-2) has been published. Koen Van Waerebeek, project manager, and others have produced this report. The project was implemented in Senegal and The Gambia, from December 1999 till December 2001. It generally aimed at collecting information on the conservation status of coastal cetaceans, with emphasis on status of the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii), and support activities to improve it. To this end measures to mitigate threats to its long-term survival were investigated.

Surprisingly, cetacean scientists have gathered more knowledge about the distribution, ecology and status of whales and small cetaceans from such hostile marine environments as the polar seas, than about the natural history of cetaceans in African coastal waters with the exception of South Africa. The coastal environment in West Africa is undergoing rapid changes with expanding human populations and over fishing, giving rise to multiple threats to the long-term survival of vulnerable marine life forms, including marine mammals. This report summarizes results from WAFCET-2 project activities in Senegal and The Gambia. In addition, Koen Van Waerebeek et al comprehensively review the status, distribution and natural history of the Atlantic humpback dolphin, one of only two cetaceans endemic to West Africa.

The overall goals of the WAFCET-2 conservation project consisted of raising awareness and boosting expertise in aquatic mammal conservation at all levels, from the general public up to government officials. Explorative field research was done to assess the present conservation status of cetaceans in Senegal and The Gambia. At the same time the feasibility of future dedicated studies and larger-scale conservation and education initiatives was evaluated.

These aims fit within the broader, regional objectives of CMS conservation efforts for migratory species. They are consistent with recent initiatives for the management and protection of the marine and coastal resources of the Economic Community of West African States sub region. Several recent events demonstrate increasing interest for whales and dolphins and their management within the sub region. These also include a CMS-sponsored workshop in Conakry on the conservation and management of marine mammals in West Africa in May 2000 and the subsequent establishment of a national coordination/ information centre for cetaceans in Guinea.

Click here to download the WAFCET - 2 Report (in PDF Format)