Collaborative research and stakeholder engagement continues in Guinea.
Atlantic humpback dolphins photographed during a survey in the Rio Nunez Estuary, Guinea, in May 2024.
The collaborative dolphin project in Guinea has seen great progress in recent months. The multifaceted project, conceived by CCAHD, includes research, outreach and education,training and capacity building, and government stakeholder engagement. It is hosted by CCAHD partners Biotope International and Biotope Guinea, funded by the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZF), and implemented with government partners, the Center for Aquatic Sciences Boussoura (CNHSB), and a local NGO, Guinée Ecologie.
In May 2024, the team conducted a training workshop on data collection from stranded whales and dolphins. The session included a classroom component that provided background on the possible causes of cetacean strandings, and the importance of collecting data and samples from dead animals. Participants from the CNHSB all received copies of the CCAHD simplified guide to data collection from strandings, and practical exercises during the workshop provided opportunities for hands-on practice using an inflatable dolphin to role-play crowd management and taking measurements and photos, and a papaya to practice taking ‘tissue’ samples for genetic and other analyses. A donation of sampling equipment from the US Marine Mammal Commission also ensured the CNSHB is now equipped with multiple kits to respond to, and collect data from stranded or bycaught dolphins or whales. The event was even covered on the national news, and footage can be viewed here.
Training for government stakeholders on data collection from stranded or bycaught dolphins included hands-on practice for participants.
Following the stranding training, the team took to the water for the third boat-based survey of the Río Nuñez Estuary and the surrounding areas. Using the research vessel provided by CNSHB, and based from the busy port of Kamsar, the team spent over 60 hours on the water over the course of 12 days. Weather conditions were again challenging, with wind and rain forcing the team to retire early on several survey days. However, two excellent sightings of Atlantic humpback dolphins allowed the team to obtain photographs for individual identification, as well as aerial video footage, which can be viewed here. The team included two early-career Guinean scientists from Biotope and CNSHB, who refined their data collection and photography skills over the course of the survey (see photos associated with this news item), as helped ensure that the project was well received and appreciated by local authorities and community members.
From the beginning, the Guinea project has emphasized training and hands-on experience for Guinean scientists, who have been involved in all aspects of data collection, entry and preliminary analysis. Aboubacar Mabinty Camara from Biotope and Yamoussa Salifou Camara from the CNHSB obtained some excellent photographs of the dolphins featured in this article.
Atlantic humpback dolphin photographed in May 2024, during a survey in the Rio Nunez Estuary, Guinea.
On July 26th, 2024, the project team held a meeting with government stakeholders to launch the new children’s book, Keita and the Dolphins, and to introduce the Convention on Migratory Species’ (CMS) range-wide Single Species Action Plan for the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin as a model for the development of a national action plan for the species. The meeting involved 30 participants from a range of government institutions, including the CNSHB, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, The Ministry of Education, and the National Institute for Research and Educational Activities, as well as fishers, NGOs and coastal community members who have been involved with the Guinea dolphin project over the past two years. Storyteller Ibrahima Sory Camara was also present to help introduce the book, which is being considered for inclusion in the national primary school curriculum as a tool to support environmental education. After celebrating the launch of the book, a brief overview of the CMS Single Species Action Plan set the stage for participants to engage in an interactive exercise to rank the threats to dolphins in Guinea, and begin to assess the actions needed to address these threats. This represents the first step toward a cross-stakeholder approach to drafting a national action plan for Atlantic humpback dolphins in Guinea. The national press was present, and the meeting was featured in the national evening news. Watch here!
Government, NGO and community stakeholders gathered on July 26th, 2024 for the formal launch of the children’s book Keita and the Dolphins and to begin the process of developing a National Action Plan for Atlantic humpback dolphins.
The MBZF-funded project will formally come to an end in September 2024. A cross-stakeholder meeting is planned for the end of the month to present the project’s outcomes, discuss ways to apply what has been learned, and build on the momentum that the project has created. Stay tuned for updates!