A project to help fishermen eliminate ghost nets and transition to sustainable fishing gear conducted by the Fishermen's Association of Rio Cacheu (APC) in Guinea Bissau, with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme, has contributed to the reduction of the use of illegal fishing nets in the National Mangrove Park of Cacheu River (PNTC).
Also, the campaign ‘No plastic: A small gesture in our hands,' launched in the Island of Príncipe Biosphere Reserve, São Tomé and Príncipe, in February 2014, has helped reduce plastic waste and promote access to drinking water.
23 February 2015: A project to help fishermen eliminate ghost nets and transition to sustainable fishing gear conducted by the Fishermen’s Association of Rio Cacheu (APC) in Guinea Bissau, with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme, has contributed to the reduction of the use of illegal fishing nets in the National Mangrove Park of Cacheu River (PNTC). Also, the campaign ‘No plastic: A small gesture in our hands,’ launched in the Island of Príncipe Biosphere Reserve, São Tomé and Príncipe, in February 2014, has helped reduce plastic waste and promote access to drinking water.
The APC/GEF project tackling the illegal use of abandoned or discarded fish nets, referred to as “ghost nets,” along Guinea Bissau’s Cacheu River set up the first community store for fishing gear, which allowed fishermen to eliminate ghost nets by acquiring biodegradable and selective fishing nets at an affordable price, including through installment payment plans. The use of biodegradable fishing nets has brought tangible benefits for fish populations and livelihoods, while also contributing to the gradual elimination of ghost nets.
The result of a partnership between the Regional Government of Príncipe, through the Island of Príncipe Biosphere Reserve, Man and Biosphere programme (MAB) of UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and others, the no-plastic awareness and mobilization campaign promoted the exchange of 50 plastic bottles for a reusable, stainless steel “Príncipe Biosphere Bottle” that could be refilled at various treated water facilities installed across the Island of Príncipe. According to the recent announcement by the Regional President of the Government of Príncipe, the Island of Príncipe would become plastic-free by 2020.
The GEF SGP is funded by the GEF as a corporate programme and is implemented by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the GEF partnership. It is executed by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). [GEF Press Release] [UNESCO Press Release]