In 2020, at CMS COP13, governments of the region championed their desire to develop an Aquatic Wild Meat Action Plan, which the CMS Aquatic Wild Meat Working Group has accordingly worked on, in partnership with OceanCare, the Benin Environment & Education Society (BEES) and the Government of Benin.

The draft Action Plan will be discussed in a series of four 3-hour online (Zoom) meetings taking place between June and August 2023. This process will enable West African Range States to share experiences about aquatic wild meat harvests and drivers, and to negotiate the substantive detail of a West African Aquatic Wild Meat Action Plan.

OceanCare and BEES will take responsibility for coordinating these four meetings:

• 1^st virtual meeting, 27 June 2023, 9.00 AM to 12.00 PM (GMT): Reflecting on known science and identifying scientific gaps
• 2^nd virtual meeting, 14 July 2023, 9.00 AM to 12.00 PM (GMT): Understanding drivers and pressures
• 3^rd virtual meeting, 31 July 2023, 9.00 AM to 12.00 PM (GMT): Understanding the intersection between fisheries and environment
• 4^th virtual meeting, 14 August 2023, 9.00 AM to 12.00 PM (GMT): Fostering community-driven solutions, and building laws and enforcement

We strongly encourage Range States (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) and stakeholders to attend all meetings.

Registration is through email to [email protected], with copy to [email protected] and [email protected].

The Zoom link for the 1st virtual meeting (27 June 2023) has been emailed to registered participants. Please write to [email protected] if you intend to participate but have not yet received the link.

An in-person meeting giving opportunity for more direct and interactive exchange and finalization of the Action Plan will take place on 7 September, as part of the "CMS Marine Megafauna Week: Atlantic Coast of Africa!. More information can be found here.