摘要
•How existing legislation and policy tools are sustaining mangrove forests in West Africa and Cameroon is not known.•Management of mangroves is embedded under wider natural resources legislation and polices tools.•Current legislations are unsuited and obsolete to promote mangrove forests sustainability in the region.•Current legislations invite multiple institutions with unclear roles and governance gaps which, constrains mangrove sustainability.•Sustainable management of this system should be guided by mangrove specific regulations and policy tools.•Some preliminary indicators for developing and monitoring the implementation of appropriate mangrove legislation and policies are suggested.