By Samsideen Ceesay in Nouakchott
As part of the implementation of the Go-WAMER program, the regional coordination unit of Go-Wamer has begun five days sub-regional conference on governance, marine resource management policies and poverty reduction in the Ecoregion.
The five days sub-regional conference currently underway in Nouakchott brought parliamentarians and journalists in six (6) ecoregions in West Africa namely The Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry and Cape Verde, and it aims to develop synergies between networks of journalists and parliamentarians on Go-WAMER Program themes as well as contribute to the work of capitalizing and improving the visibility of the program.
The objective of the programme is to improve governance and promote the adoption of best practices for sustainable use of marine and coastal resources in the ecoregion Wamer.
Speaking at the event, the coordinator national implementing team, Go-Wamer in Mauritania, Muhammed Ahagie E. Jiwen, said: “The regional program which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aims at reducing poverty and strengthening food security in the ecoregion WAMER (Western Africa Marine Eco-Region) and its cover 6 countries.
“Coastal and marine resource in West Africa is declining especially in Mauritania. The European Union in collaboration with United Nations Development Program is supporting the event in order to ameliorate the effects of marine resource management policies and poverty reduction in the Eco-region”.
Commenting further the coordinator pointed out that the best practices of managing coastal resources in the Eco-region is legislative aspect and management tools, adding that the event will avail the journalists the opportunity to disseminate information to the public with regard to the marine, governance and management of coastal resources in Go-Wamer countries.
For his part, the representative of UNDP, Mauritania, Zosa Lavi, said: “Coastal resource is important in the socio-economic aspect,” Lavi said, noting that there cannot be sustainable fishing without better management and governance.
Hans Christian Beaumond, EU representative said they will facilitate and support the community, adding that the Go-Wamer project will phase out in December 2017, but in January the new project will be implemented in six West African countries dubbed the PASCAO.
