More often than not, the conversation around endangered, threatened and protected species emphasizes terrestrial and air-borne species, leaving out the plight of aquatic species. Although aquatic species face many of the same threats as other species, they tend to be neglected by policy, research, and protection attempts. To understand and address this issue, WA BiCC commissioned a scoping study which found that a wide variety are consumed and traded in West Africa because of rising human populations and land-based developments. Both rising population and development have prompted new forms of meat consumption and illegal trade aimed at revenue generation. The decline in aquatic species and resources is an enormous problem requiring an integrated approach that encompasses research, policy, capacity building, and synergy across institutions and conventions.
One initiative aimed at strengthening protection for these endangered and threatened aquatic species is the recently launched Abidjan Aquatic Wildlife Partnership (AAWP), inaugurated at the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS). The partnership is a collaborative effort between USAID, Abidjan Convention, Ocean Care, World Bank and Wild Migration. Several institutions expressed their interest in the project, including the CMS Secretariat, Born Free Foundation, Wetlands International, UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring Program (WCMC), and the International Whaling Commission, the support of which ultimately led to the adoption of the Resolution on the Aquatic Wild Meat and the establishment of an Aquatic Wild Meat Working Group by the CMS.
