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Securing the critical Inhamambane Estuary & mouth in the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary, with direct benefits to the Chingonguene fishing community

Key Biodiversity Area Privately Protected Area Marine Protected Area

Livelihoods

Local Communities National or local PA agency Farmers/ Fishermen

Medium Grant | 199,598€ Mozambique; Southern Africa 01.01.2023 – 30.06.2024

Protected and conserved area(s) concerned

Santuario Bravio de Vilanculos / Vilanculos

The BIOPAMA AC Objectives addressed

Support local communities’ initiatives aiming to enhance the livelihoods of local people whilst effectively contributing to protected areas’ management.
Secure the Inhamambane Estuary mouth as a no-netting zone with adequate monitoring and enforcement
Improve corporate governance and fucntioning of Chingonguene CCP by holding a legal election and constructing a CCP headquarters with solar power and adequate freezer facilities
Improve education opportunities for Chingonguene children by making additions and improvements to the Chingonguene Primary School

Priority need addressed

The Inhamambane Estuary plays a critical role as a breeding ground and nursery for numerous reef and pelagic fish and the estuary mouth is an incredibly important aggregation site for sharks and rays, including the critically endangered rhino ray/wedgefish. This estuary and mouth are also vital fishing areas for the Chingonguene community which resides alongside the estuary, providing both nutritional and economic resources to its people. The project aims to declare the Inhamambane estuary mouth a restricted use zone enforced with a new patrol boat with no netting permitted for the protection of sharks and rays, and to provide economic benefits to the Chingonguene community through the provision of facilities and equipment to improve governance and education opportunities, introduce more sustainable fishing practices, and access economic benefits from existing ecotourism markets.

The change the project implementation will bring for the protected area(s)

By establishing sound governance and headquarters for the Chingonguene CCP the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the CBO will be significantly enhanced. The creation of a viable income stream through establishment of a marketplace with fish storage facilities and an end-user market already in place will ensure the continuous flow of economic benefits to the CCP and all members of the community, enabling ongoing maintenance of buildings and equipment, including the community primary school. The project improves future prospects for alternative livelihoods and careers, unlocks conservation education lessons in the school by ensuring adequate infrastructure, and creates employment opportunities for women and youth through construction projects centered in the Chingonguene village. In ecological terms, the numbers of sharks and rays observed in the estuary mouth and on surrounding reefs are expected to increase due to more effective patrols by boat, less indiscriminate netting due to enforcement of restrictions, and the implementation of effective catch monitoring.

Download the project infofiche.