Regional tools and capacity building to support outreach and communication
Coastal communities, fishermen, industry representatives and government decision makers cannot protect what they do not know. Many of these stakeholders that are central to understanding and conserving Atlantic humpback dolphins are not even aware that the species exists, much less that it is in danger of becoming extinct.
The CCAHD’s Outreach and Capacity Building Working Group has worked on a range of tools and initiatives to support range country partners in their efforts to raise awareness of Atlantic humpback dolphins and their conservation needs. These include:
- Infographics and powerpoint presentations that can be shared with decision makers and industry representatives to help them understand the basic facts about Atlantic humpback dolphins, why they are so threatened, and what can be done to better understand and protect them. These tools have been used in government engagement meetings in Gabon, Cameroon, Senegal, Congo and Guinea. The latest adaptations include information about the Convention on Migratory Species’ Single Species Action Plan for the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin, a regional framework to promote conservation action for the species by a wide range of stakeholders. These power point presentations are available upon request in French or in English.
- Fact sheets, a video, ID guides, colouring sheets and a new Children’s book, that can be used to support education and outreach in coastal communities and schools. The beautifully illustrated Children’s book, Keita and the Dolphins, is a retelling of a traditional fisherman’s tale shared by an old storyteller in Guinea. It will be formally launched in early July, along with teachers’ guides and games and other support materials that teachers and community animators can use to highlight and build on the valuable conservation messages in the book.
- Training and support for range country communications focal points: Throughout the months of November and December 2023, the CCAHD Communications Team conducted training spanning four 2-hour sessions, aimed to empower communications leads from Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritania, and Ivory Coast. The training covered a spectrum of essential skills, including press release writing, photography, videography, basic social media management, and hashtag implementation for effective digital communications. The sessions were run by Yandeh Sallah-Muhammed, Head of Communications at the Gambian Marine & Environmental Conservation Initiative (GMECI), who supports communications development in CCAHD. Participants were empowered, and have been able to showcase their new skills on their own organisations’ social media platforms, as well as with new contributions to CCAHD Social media posts.