First documentation of the capture and release of a manatee in the Rogolié River wetland (Ntoum, Gabon)

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Research Paper 15/06/2023
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First documentation of the capture and release of a manatee in the Rogolié River wetland (Ntoum, Gabon)

Christy Achtone Nkollo-Kema Kema, Judicael Régis Kema Kema, Igor Akendengue Aken, Mariella Nzambe, Anaclet Mombo, Christophe Roland Zinga Koumba
J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 22(6), 185-189, June 2023.
Copyright Statement: Copyright 2023; The Author(s).
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Abstract

A large number of marine mammals are seriously threatened by fisheries. Although the issue of by-catches in fisheries is a major threat to marine mammals, it has not yet been tackled in a concrete way in Gabon. Artisanal fishing accounts for 95% of fishing activity. Their impact on vulnerable megafauna can therefore be significant, either as bycatch or as target species. However, detailed information on the composition of fisheries catches is limited because of a lack of monitoring and reporting due to limited financial and logistical capacity. The aim of this paper is to document a rare phenomenon of the release of an African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) caught in fishing nets at the mouth of the Rogolié River in the Gabon estuary.

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