The West African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis is a member of the Sirenian family. This aquatic mammal is found in West African rivers, coastal lagoons and estuaries, from Northern Senegal / Southern Mauritania to Southern Angola.
West African Manatee is classed on the IUCN Red List of threatened animals as “Vulnerable” and on Annex II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Attempts at classifying it under the more threatened category (Annex I) are currently underway. 
Wetlands International is launching a Regional Conservation Project for the West African Manatee. This project, which falls within the framework of the Regional Programme for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Zone – Programme Régional de Conservation de la zone Côtière et Marine (PRCM), is focused mainly on the intervention area of the PRCM, from Mauritania to Guinea). It is conducted jointly with its PRCM partners: the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Fondation Internationale du Banc d’Arguin (FIBA) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). For Wetlands International, this project fits into a global strategy of wetland management.

    Objectives 

• Set up a scientific database (previous research and works) on a mammal that is little studied in Africa.
• Establish a regional network of correspondents (local, regional, national) to gather information and conduct field surveys.
• Use these scientific and human resources to initiate a better understanding of the species (populations, distribution, habitat, social life, threats etc.).
• Develop a Conservation Action Plan based on this scientific database, convene a regional workshop and propose targeted actions

    Expected outputs

• Availability of a Website to inform (status of the Manatee, project activities, etc.), exchange and stimulate the network. 
  
• Strengthen and structure the network of people associated with this conservation plan, to consolidate the scientific database.
  
• Raise awareness of local communities, so as to involve them in a conservation strategy that is likely to also promote the manatee as a source of revenue through ecotourism.
  
• Promote the manatee as “flagship species”, indicative of a balanced, sound and productive wetland.
  
• Protect the species as far as possible, and coordinate ecological monitoring of wetlands where it occurs.

This Regional Conservation Plan, planned for three years, will be implemented from 2006

Download the Manatee project