Since 2006, Océanium has been working to restore the mangrove forests in Senegal. Mangroves are one of the richest ecosystems in the world, a natural barrier, nurseries for many species and an effective filtration system that prevents the influx of saline water inland. Once the mangroves disappear, water becomes very saline, rendering the soil unfit for agriculture since nothing can grow.

This project will restore the shrinking mangrove forests, lost due to droughts, deforestation for timber and the blockage of waterways by roads. As a result, it will restore the ecosystem and protect vital arable land, which will help to restore the rice paddies of Casamance and Siné Saloum and former rice paddies that have dried up in the area. Lastly, it will boost depleted fish stocks by producing up to 20,000 extra tons of fish annually, along with shrimps, oysters, and molluscs that mangrove forests harbour.

The replantation area now includes 15,000 hectares. With 100 million mangroves already replanted since 2006, it is the world’s largest mangrove reforestation project. This project is unique due to the exceptional level of social mobilization it has achieved, with the involvement of 350 local villages and 200 000 people