This study was carried out in order to participate in the conservation of the biodiversity of aquatic fauna and to develop a strategy for the conservation of fauna and flora in a mining environment. The study area is the Cavally River, precisely within the perimeter of the ITY gold mine in the ZOUAN-HOUNIEN department. Fish were sampled using a set of gillnets. Bathymetric surveys were carried out using an echo sounder. A Niskin bottle and a Van Veen bucket were used to sample the water and sediment respectively, prior to laboratory analysis. The inventory studies identified 76 species of fish, 19 species of amphibians and 10 species of shrimp. Some of these species are of conservation interest and merit special attention according to the IUCN (2023). Hydrological studies have shown the obstruction of the watercourse, the increase in suspended solids, the modification of the hydrological regime and the widening of the watercourse bed. Measurements of heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and total cyanide showed traces of these metals in the sediments of the watercourse at values above the WHO guide value. In order to limit the loss of fish diversity, aquatic organism transfer activities were carried out. A fry production centre was built to produce species of conservation interest (Coptodon walteri and Micralestes eburneensis) and stock the Cavally river. Secondly, to supply the community with Oreochromis niloticus fry. At the end of each year, hydrobiological, hydrochemical and hydrological monitoring studies are carried out to guide the ITY mining company in its ecological monitoring of the Cavally river. This habitat, deeply disturbed by mining, is a danger for endemic species whose distribution is restricted. These species are of real conservation interest.
