GUNJUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEVELOPMENT GROUP

GEPADG – FOUNDED IN 1992

Ref: GEPADG-ICAM/ /PAR/18 / Vol (207) August 09th, 2007

The Permanent Secretary

Department of State for Forestry

And the Environment

State House

Banjul

Dear Sir,

REQUEST FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S APPROVAL TO DESIGNATE BOLONG FENYO AS GUNJUR COMMUNITY WILDLIFE RESERVE

The Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM) of your State Department is executing a GEF medium-sized project entitled Integrated Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management (ICAM) in The Gambia under the implementing agency of the World Bank.

As part of the project implementation objectives, Bolong Fenyo (GunjurVillage) should be registered as a community Wildlife Reserve.

Consequently, The Gunjur Environmental Protection and Development Group (GEPADG) and the ICAM Project Management Unit are pleased to submit this request for the approval of the Secretary of State for Forestry and the Environment to designate the area as the first Community Wildlife Reserve.

GEPADG, under the framework of the ICAM Project,has successfully carried out series of consultations with stakeholders to determine the potential impacts and mitigations of theframework process for Community Wildlife Reserve status (see attached process framework).

As stipulated in the Wildlife/Biodiversity Act 2003, the designation of Community Wildlife Reserve is mandatory to the approval of the Secretary of State responsible for environment.

Through this request, we wish to avail our disponibility to work closely with your department of State for the rationale conservation of the Gambian Biodiversity.

Whiles anticipating your kind approval and continuous support,

We remain

Yours

………………………….

Badara Njie Bajo

Executive Director

Cc: Director, DPWM

Coordinator, ICAM project

GEPADG File

PROCESS FRAMEWORK TO DESIGNATE BOLONG FENYO AS A COMMUNITY WILDLIFE RESERVE

The United Nations conference on the environment and development known as the earth summit held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1992 did launch the idea of sustainable development to governments and local communities.Agenda 21 emerged from this summit, inviting contracting parties to develop their own strategic plans by taking into consideration the sustainable development of the local communities.

Responding positively to world leaders’ call, the Gunjur Environmental Protection and Development Group (GEPADG) was founded in 1992 in the Gambia. The group realized that the only way to succeed with its aims and objectives was to ensure a wider community participation in natural resources management and conservation.The first ever national conference on the environment at community level in the Gambia was then organized in Gunjur village in February 1998.

GEPADG is a voluntary grassroots organization based in the rural south –west coast, registered in Banjul as a charitable organization.It is a genuine Community Based Organisation (CBO) geared towards the enhancement of local community livelihood, ecotourism development for sustainable use of natural resources, Community forestry scheme and Beekeeping, agro forestry and women vegetable gardening, rural micro-finance sub projects, etc…

Location & site description

The Bolong Fenyo Community Wildlife Reserve is situated along the Atlantic coast of West Africa, in the Gambia. The geographical coordinates of the site are 16°48’E - 16° 46’ E - 13°21’N -13°23’N (16°47’E-13°22’N).In addition to its important scientific location, the site is situated within easy access of existing centers of population such as the capital city Banjul (35 Km), Serekunda and other areas like Bakau and Brikama. The reserve includes 2 Km of coastline, open beach.

The proposed Bolong Fenyo Community Wildlife Reserve is owned by the community of Gunjur, covering 320 hectares. It has a very important and high diversity of avi-fauna. It is more importantly a roosting and feeding area for terns, gulls and other species. The Bolong Fenyo Community Wildlife Reserve is to be gazetted as the first community owned reserve and although not yet designated it has been an area under close monitoring as an African Waterfowl Census area since 2000. The coastal location of the Gambia at the edge of the African continent, places it within the West African flyway for Palearctic migrants species.

Fauna

To date a total of 16 mammal species and 11 reptilian species have been recorded. Offshore there are three-crab species, humped back and bottle nose dolphins, up side-down jellyfish and mudskipper. Since there has never been any comprehensive inventory of the fauna, the above being results of casual observation of the field rangers,probably reflect the characteristic species. The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) a nationally threatened species also occur within the area and breeds along the coast.

For mammal, the following were recorded: Epaulet fruit bats, western red Colobus, green velvet monkey, Senegal bush baby, Bushbuck, crested porcupine, Gambian mongoose, hyena (spotted), Sun squirrel, and squirrel, hare and grass-cutter.

The following reptiles were also recorded: African python Puff adder, spitting cobra, black forest cobra, sand snake, Nile monitor, Nile crocodile, green turtle, chameleon, skinless and geckoes. For offshore fauna, the humped back and bottle nose dolphins occur.

The avi-fauna is probably the most known component of the area. According to Sanyang et al (2006) 76 species of birds (woodland and marine species), were recorded from the reserve.

There is no official data on the status of amphibians and fish species that occur within the Bolong. There has been no investigation into the diversity of invertebrates apart from some preliminary study of the lipidoptera, which has yielded 31 species (Barnett’s and co, 2002).

Species that are considered the most important for conservation are the nationally or internationally rare or threatened species that include the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the rare Mediterranean monk seal (monadus monadus), and the hump backed dolphin.

Communities:

The Bolong Fenyo Community Wildlife Reserve; incorporating mangroves, dry woodlands and coastal dune scrub woodland. The area has exceptionally high habitat diversity within its comparatively small area. Such habitats include marine, fresh water mash, coastal dune, mangrove, woodland/savanna and ticket.

Since there has never been any comprehensive assessment of the area, there is no reliable data on communities in the reserve. However, the two most common species that occur in the mangrove saltpan area are the red mangrove Rhizophora racemosa and the white mangrove Avicenia nitida. The mangrove forest provides fish nursery and breeding ground for crab, oysters, shrimps, mollusks and other crustaceans. Vast quantities of fallen leaf and branch detritus provide food and roosting areas for countless tiny marine creatures. They are also prime nesting site and roosting areas for multitudes of shorebirds, rare and migratory birds.

Characteristic plants in the scrub and woodland areas of the reserve are Acacia spp, Thinning poliostigma (Poliostigma thonningii), African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa), mango (Mangiferaindica), baobab (Adansonia digitata), fig (ficus sp), rhun palm (Borassus Aethiopum). This more or less open area has basically primary vegetation type, that has been affected by anthropogenic and human induced factors over the years and which has maintained the open nature of the zone.

Animals that utilize the forest (ticket area) include: red colobus, epauletted fruit bat, bushbuck antelope, marsh monkey, Gambian sun squirrel, African python, black forest cobra, and a host of others. Characteristic plants species in this forest area include palm oil (Elaeis guineense), acacia sp, winter thorn (acacia albida) ficus sp, fig of heaven (ficus capensis), grey plum (Parinari excelsa), (Detarium senegalensis) velvet tamarind (Pialium guineense), black plum (Vitex doniana) Mandingo cola (Cola cordifolia) guinea peach (Nauclea latifolia), west African laburnum (Cassia siberiana), silk cotton (cyber pentendra), rosewood (Pterocarpuserinaceous), Ironwood (Prosopis Africana).

Ecological relationship and implication for management

The ecological value of the reserve is very high especially for avi-fauna (both migratory and residential), zoological (both marine and terrestrial), botanic and also encompassing a cultural site. It is not a self-contained ecosystem so that its long-term viability will be largely affected by surrounding human activities with a bearing on the area. These activities include poaching, logging, beach driving, firewood collection, and so many others. Consequently the whole of the Bolong Fenyo Community Wildlife Reserve should be protected. Before any development projects are carried out, in the area, there should be an assessment of their impacts on the wildlife and the environment.

Furthermore, where appropriate such projects should be assessed during and after implementation by way of environmental audits (EIA & EMP). In the same vein, the effect of the high way /Kombo coastal road (which passes on the northern side of the reserve) on wildlife and the environment should be continually assessed vis a vis future rehabilitation programme.

The area is very fragile and provides critical roosting ground for both residential and migratory species of birds. It is also a breeding ground for green turtles.

Coastline erosion has been documented as one of the environmental hazard that has degraded the Gambian coastline. According to FAO, UNEP (1996), the rate of erosion of the Gambian coast has been estimated on the average to 1 to 2 meters per year amounting to a land loss average 2.5 to 3 hectares of land per year or 200-300 000m3 /year (Delft Hydraulics, 1992). Coastal erosion is caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors. So unless effective coastal erosion combating measures are taken, the area will be seriously devastated in few years. The main threats or disturbance factors here are the highway (road, pollution, sand mining, coastal erosion, poaching, and logging).

Road map to establish BF as a Community Wildlife Reserve

In its strive to designate the area as the first community wildlife reserve of the country, the community of Gunjur through the Gunjur environment protection and development (GEPADG) and in collaboration with the ICAM project agreed with the World Bank to initiate a framework process geared towards attaining general consensus around the proposed project. The following activities were then agreed and implementation took its course during the second and third quarter of this year:

  • Participatory rural appraisal was successfully conducted in the Gunjur community following the Gunjur community request to recognize Bolong Fenyo as a community wild life reserve.
  • The demarcation of Bolong Fenyo wildlife reserve was done by the survey department and the erection of boundary pillars was carried out by GEPADG staff members and the site management committee in November, 2006.
  • Mr Gordon Appleby, a World Bank consultant was selected to draft a process frame work to guide the activities.
  • After the completion of the process framework document,it was submitted to NEA for vetting.
  • Negotiation with stakeholders involving representatives of all the 8 clans of Gunjur, council of elders, VDC members, women and youth representatives and other NGO was carried outthrough the facilitationof The DPWM staff on the 16th of April, 2007.
  • Validation workshop was organized on the 30th April 2007 for the approval of the recommendations of the last stakeholder negotiation meeting.
  • Community consultation process on the status of BolongFenyo community reserve was held at Baobab Holiday Resort on the 18th of May, 2007 to present the recommendations to various government institutions and policy makers.
  • Grace period from June 1st to end of July.
  • Submission of the request todesignate Bolong Fenyo as a Community Wildlife Reserve to the Department of State for Forestry the Environment on the 10th August 2007.