Description of the project: Faced with rising water levels, soil salinization and industrial overfishing, women fishers from 7 villages of the Saloum River Delta restore and develop sustainable fishing and processing practices of mangrove shellfish. The catch is calibrated and weighted, biological recovery and reseeding is implemented and improved stoves and solar dryers are used for shellfish processing. Women participate in the regulation meetings of local artisanal fishing areas. They defend their rights and their ancestral knowledge to ensure their economic autonomy and preserve the endangered ecosystem on which the local population depends.

Climate Impact: The Saloum Delta and its fishing resources are threatened by rising water levels and heavy migration to the coastal areas. To prevent overfishing and deforestation, the women practice a balanced system based on knowledge transfer, consultation with elected officials to protect the resources, and the reforestation of the mangrove. These practices have improved the resilience of a precious ecosystem classified as a UNESCO Heritage site, and reduced CO2 emissions caused by wood burning.

Gender Impact: 4,800 women fishers have been trained to defend their rights to resources in the regulated fishing areas, to reduce the costs and the hardship of the processing tasks, and to improve marketing. A gender study of the fishery’s economic and gender relationships was conducted: daily time allocation, comparison of contributions to domestic and productive tasks. The objective is to strengthen economic solidarity and care within households.

Scalability / replicability: Proven methods of sustainable resource management, exchange of expertise within a structured network with the support of ENDA: the REFEPAS-network of women for artisanal fishing in Senegal. Replicable training modules on gender inequalities, capacity building for leadership, management and marketing. ENDA collaborates with the IUPA University Institute for Artisanal Fishing, the IRD, the Direction of natural parks, regional and local authorities.