‘Let’s protect our mangroves to prevent erosion’

Mr. Lamin Fatty, the former Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) of the Village Development Committee (VDC) of Faraba Banta village has called for greater protection of our mangroves emphasizing the importance of the intervention by Nema-Chosso towards the restoration of the mangroves in their communities as it will help prevent erosion, maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments originating from the land. Fatty said this while speaking to Mansa Banko Blog at the project site.

The Faraba Banta Nema-Chosso Mangroves Restoration Project is being implemented by the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DoPWM), as Service Providers contracted by Nema-Chosso.

Dilating on the genesis of this intervention, Fatty stated that it was during their tenure as members of the VDC that they had forged a relationship/partnership with the DoPWM, which facilitated the eventual intervention of Nema-Chosso, thus  cementing the partnership and supporting the community to restore mangroves.

“After going through series of community sensititation meetings organised by Nema-Chosso, we are now aware of the importance of mangroves. This area is now a Protected Area (PA) covering five hundred and two hectares (502ha),” he said.

The project has also brought together the two local communities of Faraba Banta and Pirang to work together and support each other. The place, according to Fatty, has served as a meeting and assembly site as people meet there to do work during which they discuss community, family and even personal relationships.

“We’re very much grateful to Nema-Chosso for considering us by supporting us with this intervention that if taken care of, will improve the livelihood of the local communities” he noted.

For his part, Alkalo of Pirang village said mangroves are home to a large variety of fish, crab, shrimp, and mollusk species saying that fisheries form an essential source of food for thousands of coastal communities including their own community.

“Mangroves protect vulnerable coastlines from wave action because they hold the soil together” Alkalo Morro Sama Bojang said.

As halophytes plants, he said mangroves thrive in salty conditions and the area that it is planted is always salty area thereby making significant contributions that benefit the coastal ecology.

“Their coverage of shorelines and wetlands provides many diverse species of birds, mammals, and fish a unique, irreplaceable, said Alkalo Bojang.

“When I was a young boy, 30 years ago, we used to come here to fish. We used to catch plenty of fishes because the mangroves were abundant in the area. Therefore, two villages- Faraba Banta and Pirang made best use of the place.”

On why the decline in mangroves, he pointed out that it was due to the indiscriminate cutting of the mangroves and lack of understanding of the importance it has.

The VDC Chairperson of Pirang, Borry Njie explained that the villages are working closely to successfully implement the project.