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Site description (2022 baseline):
Site location and context
Tanji Bird Reserve lies on the Atlantic coast, surrounded by the expanding towns of Ghana Town/Brufut to the north-east and Tanji/Madiana to the south and east. The reserve habitat includes degraded savanna and stabilized sand-dunes, mangrove, and wooded grassland dominated by Parinari macrophylla, with small patches of tropical forest.
The reserve is bordered to the south by the tidal, saline reaches of the Tanji river, fringed with low mangrove forest, saltmarsh and mudflats. The river meanders northwest along a beach created by longshore drift until it enters the sea at Bald Cape.
The lateritic outcrop which edges the beach stretches km offshore to form the tiny and unstable Bijol islands, included in the reserve. These islands were wooded prior to 1960 but have degraded into four small islands covered with accumulated sand and patches of creeping halophytes (Ipomoea pescaprae and Sesuvium portulacastrum). Climate change and rising sea levels have eroded the laterite cliffs and beach structure along the Tanji River and Bijol islands. The shoreline has thinned dramatically with encroachment of salt water into the lagoons beyond the river inland, reducing the area of beach north of Tanji fish landing site.
The mouth of the Tanji at Bald Cape and Bijol Islands remain the most important sites in the country for flocks of most species of gulls and terns, with the greatest diversity of breeding and migrant species in The Gambia. The islands hold the only known breeding site in The Gambia for Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia, Royal tern Thalasseus maximus and Grey-headed gull
Larus cirrocephalus. Lesser Black-backed gull
Larus fuscus and Caspian tern predominate in winter. Annual
Larus audouinii and
Pelecanus onocrotalus populations on Bijol islands fluctuate widely possibly attributable to disturbance, rising sea levels and variations in food availability.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals of global conservation concern include
Procolobus badius temminckii (EN) on the mainland. Ocean species include the dolphins
Sousa teuzsii (DD) and
Tursiops truncatus (DD) and the turtle
Chelonia mydas (EN) which no longer breeds on Bijol island. Monk seals
Monachus monachus (CR) used to frequent these waters but have not been observed for at least 10 years.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Lack of resources, capacity and funding for wildlife and reserves management. The reserve was gazetted in 1993 and is currently managed by the Department for Wildlife and Reserves, staffed with rangers and a reserve manager. The reserve has a headquarters and new tourist lodge, with trails cut through the scrub. Monitoring of bird species is largely carried out by experienced and knowledgeable members of the West African Bird Society Association (WABSA). However, lack of financial and capacity-building support has limited the Department and societies’ ability to monitor and protect the area on a regular basis.
Loss of shoreline and tidal encroachment have shrunk the area of a previously large roost of Arenaria interpres, Thallaseus maximus, Hydroporgne caspia, and
Larus dominicanus, which is now deserted. Most trigger species for this site are now located in the mouth of the Tanji River and Bald Cape, and on the Bijol islands.
The reserve faces several pressures from population growth and expanding infrastructure, such as the Kombo coastal road which was widened and tarmacked between 1998 and 2004 and runs through the centre of the reserve, the expanding surrounding peri-urban areas, and zoning of the coast for tourism development.
The large artisanal fishing fleet traditionally supplied the Gambian and west African markets, but more recently have started supplying fish for three Chinese fishmeal plants situated along the coast. This new market has caused overfishing to supply lucrative returns from Chinese fishmeal plants (Golden Lead), with dumping of the catch (mostly sardinella) when supply exceeds demand. These practices are suspected of causing toxic pollution from the dumping of excess fish onto beaches and water courses. Two of these plants have had operations suspended pending compliance with an EIA. Fish curing sites at Tanji and Ghana Town have increased demand within the reserve for firewood for fish smoking, either by tree-felling and the cutting of the roots of mature trees so that the dead wood can be legitimately gathered. The Gambia does not have the infrastructure to deal with unchecked plastic pollution and dumping of fine mesh nets which have been observed to cause entanglement and death of marine mammal and birds.
Officially the Bijol Islands may only be visited for research purposes; however, they are often disturbed by tourists and fishermen who moor on the islands at low tides.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve (Gambia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tanji-river-(karinti)-bird-reserve-iba-gambia on 22/11/2024.
