Mangrove system sustainability: public incentives and local strategies in West Africa.

Public incentives and local strategies can significantly enhance the sustainability of mangrove systems, particularly through shellfish enhancement initiatives. This study, conducted across two West African Marine Protected Areas—the Saloum Delta Biosphere Reserve in Senegal and the Bolama Bijagos Archipelago in Guinea Bissau—demonstrates how value-adding schemes like labeling align with local biodiversity management practices. By employing an interdisciplinary approach involving biology, economics, history, and geography, researchers assessed the potential of these initiatives to improve both biological and cultural diversity in mangrove ecosystems. The findings highlight the importance of reconciling local strategies with national and international policies to foster equitable benefit-sharing and sustainable development.

Cormier-Salem, M. C., Bernatets, C., & Sarr, O. (2010). Mangrove system sustainability: public incentives and local strategies in West Africa. Tropical Deltas and Coastal Zones: Food Production, Communities and Environment at the Land and Water Interface, 409–421. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845936181.0409