Banc d'Arguin National Park

• Lack of adequate management systems/ management plan
• Lack of management capacity and resources
• Illegal fishing/collecting aquatic resources
• Mechanical shellfish harvesting
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation (Tourism and increased accessibility due to the new Nouadhibou-Nouakchott road)
• Effects arising from use of transportation infrastructure
• Housing
• Illegal activities
• Localized utilities
• Mining
• Oil and gas (Oil exploitation)
• Renewable energy facilities
• Ground transport infrastructure

Total amount granted: USD 150,000  in the framework of the World Heritage Centre's Marine Programme

On 30 November 2017, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/506/documents/, providing the following information:

• The official submission of the file requesting the designation of the property and its surrounding areas as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) is foreseen for February 2019;
• The involvement of the local communities in the management and conservation of the property continues;
• Oil mining exploration is ongoing by the ‘Total EPM’ Company in the sea Block C7 close to the property and has been the subject of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), submitted to the World Heritage Centre. The Scientific Council of the Banc d’Arguin (CSBA) was involved in the preparation of the terms of reference for the said EIA. The development of the plan for the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) has been finalized;
• Establishment of a master plan to manage mobility in the Park;
• Launching of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the town of Chami, foreseen at the beginning of 2018;
• An EIA on the extension of phase 2 of the Tasiast gold mine extension was submitted to the World Heritage Centre;
• Traffic on the Nouamghar road crossing the property numbered 5,000 vehicles a year in 2015 and 2016;
• The launching, in November 2017, of a campaign for general clean-up in the villages of Nouamghar, R’Gueiba, Teichott and Iwik, and which will be extended to other parts of the property;

The State Party has continued to implement the recommendations of the 2014 Reactive Monitoring mission, by:

• Strengthening the surveillance and control system, thus limiting illegal access by motorized boats to the Park;
• Monitoring of the Dorcas gazelle population in January 2016 revealed that this population has remained relatively stable over the last decade (80 individuals);
• Practical measures to protect threatened species, in particular marine turtles, the monk seals that have experienced an increase in the number of births, and sharks and rays; the signature of an agreement with local communities to respect the interdiction to target endangered fish species within the Park, and to begin the destruction of the wells for their treatment;
• The introduction of socio-professional cards to limit pressure on fishing linked to the immigration of non-resident communities coming to fish;
• The Mauritanian Coastal Area Management and Development Plan (PDALM) is responsible for the relocation of villages threatened by the effects of climate change. The implementation of this project is foreseen for 2018 to strengthen the resilience of the local communities in the face of climate change.

The State Party has employed major efforts in responding to the decisions of the Committee and the recommendations of the 2014 mission, notably the continued involvement of local communities in the management and conservation of the property, the strengthening of the surveillance and control system, the preparation of a master plan to manage mobility in the property and the establishment of a system to limit fishing by non-resident persons. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to pursue these efforts.

The efforts from the State Party concerning the designation of the property and its surroundings as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) are noted. The World Heritage Centre’s Marine Programme has provided a continuous assistance for the PSSA dossier, including cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the participation in the national stakeholder working meeting in November 2017. A technical study on the risks of international maritime traffic and the ways a PSSA and its associated protective measures could reduce this risk is first to be completed. The Committee could encourage the State Party to pursue, in cooperation with IMO, the technical feasibility study for a potential PSSA designation before submitting a final application dossier. 

With regard to oil exploration, the EAS for the seismic study of Block C7 acknowledges the proximity of the property (10 km from Block C7 and 55 km from the seismic study zone) as well as its World Heritage status. Although a specific evaluation of the impacts of the project on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property has not been carried out, no direct impact has been recorded within the property. However, the EAS highlights the probability of moderate impacts on some species of shellfish and proposes mitigation measures. The EAS also recognizes that the ocean currents have a tendency to pull the deep offshore waters back into the Gulf d’Arguin, which could present risks to the property if the project procedes with exploitation. It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to ensure the enforcement of mitigation measures during the exploitation phase to avoid all indirect impact on the OUV of the property; in the event that the State Partty progresses to the exploitation phase, a new EAS will be indispensable before beginning of the potential work.

Concerning the EAS for the extension of the Tasiast gold mine, dated March 2012, no evaluation on the impact on the OUV of the property has been undertaken, even although the property is located at 65 km from the mining site and less than 5 km from the pumping field that provides the water needs for the exploitation and drinking water for the mine. This EAS therefore does not represent an adequate information base to take decisions concerning the extension of the mine and it is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to revise it, before taking any decision on the project, to evaluate the impacts on the OUV of the property, in conformity with the IUCN Advice Note on World Heritage and environmental evaluation.

The measures undertaken to protect the threatened species are warmly welcomed. In particular, the commitment of the State Party to establish by 2020 a strict interdiction to fish shark and ray. A study annexed to the State Party report indicates that the proportion of shark and ray capture has decreased since 2013, now representing on average 27% of the overall fishing activity of the property. However, fishing of other species is on the increase.

Although the State Party reassures that the fisheries in and around the property are sustainable, pressure on fishing must be the subject of continued monitoring to ensure the sustainability and conservation of the OUV of the property.

It is recommended that the Committee takes note of the launching, foreseen in 2018, of the SEA for the town of Chami and that it reiterates its request to the State Party to ensure that in addition to this SEA, prior to all development, the town of Chami is the subject of a rigorous EAS which is submitted to the Banc d’Arguin National Park (PNBA) for agreement, as recommended by the mission.

It is also recommended that the Committee congratulate the State Party on the establishment and strengthening of a permanent concertation committee,that includes the administrative and municipal, regional and communal authorities. It is also recommended that the Committee express its concern as regards the relocation project of villages threatened by the effect of climate change, the implementation of which, in the framework of the PDALM, is foreseen in 2018, and for which the State Party has made no reference. Detailed information concerning this project is necessary.