“The importance of Seagrass can’t be over emphasised. It serves as a feeding ground for fish. Most of the fish you see here is because of the seagrass, because it provides them food; and it’s highly rich in nutrients. It also serves as a breeding ground for the fish, meaning the fish lay their eggs on the seagrass,” the Acting Focal Person, Resilience Sea Project, Mr. Omar Sanneh advanced, in making a case for the protection and preservation of these vital species in marine environments.
The Gambia and six other African countries are currently benefiting from the Resilience Sea Project. The sub-regional project funded by MAWA, is a pilot project and supposed to be implemented in three phases. The Gambia’s Resilience Sea Project is under the Department of Park and Wildlife Management, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Natural Resources.
Speaking to reporters during the recent visits to Kartong and Gunjur seasides in the West Coast Region (WCR) of The Gambia, Sanneh called for the protection and preservation of seagrasses, explaining they are flowering plants that grow entirely underwater and serve as a feeding ground for fish, among other marine organisms.
Two species of seagrasses had been identified in the country which are Halodule wrightii and Cymodocea nodosa, he told members of the press, adding another seagrass, which is Zostera noltii–[known by the common name dwarf eelgrass]-, could be possibly found in the country.
Noting seagrasses could only be found in shallow regions, and over 70 species of seagrasses had been discovered globally, the Focal Person pointed out that, another important ecosystem service that seagrass provided is that, it also serves as a feeding ground for the turtles. He said turtles depend on seagrasses as their food.
“In fact, seagrass also reduces the impact of climate change. Seagrass can also be used as raw materials in the manufacture of mattresses among others,” the newspeople were told. He also argued that Seagrass serves as a source of food for fish, manatees [large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals–sometimes known as sea cows] and turtles; and that “the reason why we have high concentration of turtles around this area is because of the seagrasses, due to the fact that they feed on the seagrasses.” Seagrass is not the same as seaweed, explained Sanneh, as he said it’s a flowering plant while seaweed is not a flowering plant.
According to him, dragnet-[a net drawn along the bottom of a body of water]- poses a great threat to seagrasses, while claiming that dragnet is even banned in the country.
“It doesn’t only pose a threat to the seagrass but it also poses a threat to so many aquatic organisms,” he stressed. Sanneh cited water pollution also as a threat to seagrasses, underlining that water pollution “is a very serious challenge for the marine environment”.
“The level of water pollution in the country at the moment, I can’t say is alarming, for the fact [that] there’s no scientific document to prove that water pollution is alarming in the country,” Sanneh intimated.
However, he was quick to charge that there’s a need to jealously safeguard the country’s water from pollution. Sanneh went on: “We can still prevent our water from pollution because we have industries along the soil land. So, there’s a high probability that they are discharging their waste water into the sea. Certainly, most of the industry’s waste water contains heavy metal. These are metals that are highly reactive.”
Quizzed about what needs to be done to enhance seagrass conservation in the country, the Resilience Sea Project official underlined that “awareness creation on the significance of seagrass is crucial, with a view to enable people enhance the preservation of seagrasses in their various communities. Sanneh also cited collaboration with key stakeholders like National Environment Agency (NEA), among other players which have a stake in the marine environment, as an important component towards preserving seagrasses and other marine resources for sustainable purposes.
He further told reporters that, his department had conducted a sensitisation for fishermen with the objectives of minimising their activities within the area where seagrasses are found.
