NATIONAL CAPITALIZATION THROUGH NATURAL RESSOURCES AGREEMENTS Case of BACoMaB

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1 Fonds Fiduciaire du Banc d Arguin et de la biodiversité côtière et marine Banc d Arguin, and Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Trust Fund Limited NATIONAL CAPITALIZATION THROUGH NATURAL RESSOURCES AGREEMENTS Case of BACoMaB Mohamed Lemine DHEHBY, President of BACoMaB Workshop #9 Resources Mobilization Strategies for Environmental Funds November 1st to 3rd, 2013 San José, Costa Rica Double Tree by Hilton Hotel

2 OUTLINE I. The Banc d'arguin National Park (abbreviated to PNBA in French), II. Other sites III. Banc d'arguin and Coastal and Marine Biodiversity (BACoMaB) IV. The fishing agreement V. The importance of the fisheries sector and the value of the PNBA VI. Production sharing contract revised (Chinguetty oilfield) VII.Political bearing or commitment

3 The Banc d'arguin National Park (PNBA) Name: The Banc d'arguin National Park (abbreviated to PNBA in French), Location: Islamic Republic of Mauritania, stretching along the Atlantic coast Year of creation: Size : 12,000 km 2 Particular signs: remarkable biodiversity, the most important marine protected area in western Africa, one of the most important zones in the world for nesting birds and Palearctic migratory waders Other particular signs: formed of sand dunes, coastal swamps, small islands and shallow coastal waters, presents a landscape with an exceptional contrasts and of natural value through the desert and the biodiversity of the marine area

4 The Banc d'arguin National Park (PNBA) Values: one of the most important sites in the world for observing the particular species thanks to the region's mild climate and an absence of human interference Threats:. However, the PNBA is confronted by serious threats: 1. the newly constructed Trans-Sahara road, which runs close to the park 2. the discovery of petrol near the park boundaries (new oil platforms) 3. over-fishing (despite strict regulations governing fishing within park boundaries, and the fact that only traditional fishing techniques, without motors, may be used) 4. global warming (the area is particularly at risk from any increase in sea level).

5 Other sites The Bay of Etoile site, located on the Cap Blanc peninsula, 13 km north of the city of Nouadhibou. It is the subject of a classification project. The Cap Blanc Satellite Reserve, 2.10 km 2 under PNBA administration), located on the southern tip of the Nouadhibou peninsula. It was created in 1986 to protect one of the last populations of monk seals The Cross-Border Biosphere Reserve (6.400 km 2, of which km 2 in Mauritanian territory), classified by UNESCO in 2005, located in the lower delta of the Senegal River. this includes different sites of great biological interest such as: the Diawling National Park (DNP 160 km2), the Chott Boul Reserve a lagoon designated as a Ramsar site in 2000 the Mboyo isles that play an important role in the migration of marine and estuarial fish species of regional importance.

6 Banc d'arguin and Coastal and Marine Biodiversity (BACoMaB) Name: Banc d'arguin and Coastal and Marine Biodiversity, Location: Islamic Republic of Mauritania, stretching along the Atlantic coast Date of creation: January 2009., almost 10 years after the drafting of the first feasibility study for the initiative waiting for the involvment of the Government The raison d être: Necessity of a sustainable financial mechanism-the CTS is the most appropriate channel to secure the long-term financing of the PNBA The BACoMaB s endowment fund now stands at EUR 17.3 million the Mauritanian authorities are one of the largest contributors Mauritanian Government / EU 2.8 millions euro MAVA (Foundation) 6 millions euro BMZ (German Cooperation) 5 millions euro AFD 2.5 million euro FFEM 1 million euro

7 Banc d'arguin and Coastal and Marine Biodiversity (BACoMaB) Return: the historical net return of the fund equates to 2.14 per cent Like many trust funds for conservation in Francophone Africa, the BaCoMaB is a Foundation registered in London under English law. The offshore location has many advantages, including tax exemptions for European and American donors. Objectives: to promote (i) the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of PNBA and other coastal and marine, (ii) the sustainable development of beneficiary sites by conserving, protecting and improving the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources, reducing poverty and improving living conditions for the resident populations, (iii) sustainable means of economic growth and regeneration, (iv)public education on biodiversity, conservation and sustainable management of beneficiary sites.

8 The fishing agreement The first fishery Partnership agreement (FPA) between the EU and Mauritania was concluded in The FPA has a protocol and annexes. The first years, the support provided by UE was devoted to the infrastructures with a rather lower capacity for absorption. The last one which ended last year and started on 1 August 2006, for a period of six years, distinguished two contributions: Financial contribution due for access by community vessels to Mauritanian fishing zones without prejudice to the fees due by community vessels to obtain licences Community financial support for implementing a national policy based on responsible fishing and on the sustainable exploitation (this support is determined by annual agreement) The whole financial contribution is fixed at EUR 86 million per year of which EUR 11 million per year is allocated to financial support for the implementation of the national fisheries policy The protocol which is revised each two years allocated EUR 1 million per year for financial support of the PNBA

9 The fishing agreement Since the creation of the BACoMaB, the Government dedicated the half of this support to its capitalizationfollowing these arrangements: 1. The contributor contribute to the capitalization as an endowment of the fund for the sustainable management of coastal and marine protected areas in Mauritania. 2. The Fund has to set up an executive unit in Mauritania and to develop management tools, transparent procurement rules and a system of monitoring and evaluation to ensure traceability and measurement of impact of activities relating to the objectives of the recipient. 3. The Funs has also to provide to the contributor (i) an annual report of activity on March 31 of each year for the activities of the previous year, (ii) quarterly reports on asset management, (iii) an audit of the financial statements of the Foundation report. These arrangements will be renewed in favour of coming fishing agreements.

10 The fishing agreement Before focusing on the latest FPA which will cover the period , let s make some remarks related to the former agreement: 1. the The proportion of the money dedicated to the fund comparing to the total received from EU is low, under 10% of the institutional support, but part the sectoral support balance could be allocated to the fund as reparation 2. The sub agreement between the government and the fund took neverthless the fund received its allocation regularly 3. The support was initially dedicated to PNBA Concerning the 2 year protocol of the new NPA agreed 26 July 2012, these questions are adressed (the proportis become 33% and conservation is mentioned as a priority: The annual financial contribution is set at 67 million euro In addition, the financial support stands for 3 million euro of which 1 million euro is dedicated EUR 1 million is dedicated to conservation of the marine and coastal environment (PNBA and PND) (which represent one third

11 Economic value of the PNBA and weight of the fisheries sector The importance of the fisheries sector and the value of the PNBA The fisheries sector accounts for 20% of the budget revenue Employ more than employment An initial monetary evaluation of the PNBA s ecological functions indicated that they generate between EUR 300 and 350 million per year value of biodiversity, landscapes and heritage of archaeological and historical character economic importance of the PNBA as a breeding and nursery area for several fish species regarded as key by the international industrial fleet

12 Production sharing contract revised (Chinguetty oilfield) Article stipulates that without prejudice to obligations and of the responsibility for the contractor as regards environmental protection [ ] the contractor will contribute to the annual obligation of financing of a million US dollars of the environmental commission; [ ] Since 2006, the separate account recorded 8 million US dollars of compensation of which a 12 part could be affected with the capitalization of the CTF

13 Political bearing or commitment The BACoMaB is supported by Mauritanian technical and political authorities at the highest level. commitment to the conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity It was officially recognized by the Council of Ministers in December 2010, which authorize it to receive donations and bequests, and manage public funds. The Ministry in charge of the environment was created in 2006 (initially as a secretary of State, then a delegated minister, a ministry since one month) Environmental commission of CPP, the capitalization of BACoMaB and the subsidy of the PNBA through the fishing agreement, etc. All these achievements have to do with the creation of the ministry To associate the Ministry in charge of the environment with the negotiations of the natural agreements of exploitation of resources because the primary concerns of other ministers is the infrastructures

14 Final remarks Diversify sources of funding and promote innovative financing (airport tax, partnership and sharing agreements, PES, blue carbon, REDD+, etc..) Governmental commitment and participation to the capitalization of the BaCoMaB and economic valuation of PNBA are important The BaCoMaB wishes to have at least EUR 35 million by 2017, and EUR 55 million in 2020; this will be invested in perpetuity in ethical or socially responsible offshore financial markets, according to an investment policy to be established by the EF s Board The BaCoMaB funding strategy takes into account ongoing governmental support through EU fishing agreements, as well as additional donations from existing and new donors, and EUR 15 million from extractive industries (offshore petroleum sites near the park boundaries) the strategy adopted by the PNBA should be replicated in other MPAs where local fishery production is high

15 PNBA and BACoMaB: an overview

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