The Sanctuary is delighted to have been selected as a beneficiary of an IUCN BIOPAMA Action Component Medium Grant to the value of nearly EUR 200 000. This eighteen-month project will see the Sanctuary partnering with the Chingonguene community of artisanal and subsistence fishers resident within the protected area to improve conservation of threatened and endangered sharks and rays in the Inhamambane Estuary mouth, while bringing tangible benefits to the community.
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- To create a no-netting zone that encompasses the estuary mouth and adjacent waters with an area of approximately 1000 hectares;
- To procure a new patrol boat and associated equipment for the Sanctuary to enable enforcement of the new expanded no-netting area;
- To provide alternative, more sustainable fishing methods to the community fishers, including access to favorable and sustainable fishing grounds, and education and awareness programmes around shark and ray conservation, fishing regulations, sustainable fisheries and dhow safety;
- To provide the Community Fishing Council (CCP) with critical infrastructure for an office, meeting venue and marketplace, complete with solar power and deep freezing capabilities, enabling access to economic opportunities;
- To assist with improved CCP governance by establishing a democratically elected leadership council, drawing up a governance framework, and assisting the CCP to open a bank account;
- To construct additional infrastructure at the Chingonguene Primary School to improve facilities for students and teachers and encourage attendance, unlocking future opportunities for livelihoods that are less dependent on subsistence fishing and natural resources.
The total value of the BIOPAMA grant is €199 597.57 and the 18-month project will run from February 2023 to August 2024.
The Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme aims to improve the long term conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, in protected areas and surrounding communities. It is an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States financed by the European Union’s 11th European Development Fund (EDF), jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). Building on the first five years of activities financed by the 10th EDF (2012-2017), BIOPAMA’s second phase provides tools for data and information management, services for improving the knowledge and capacity for protected area planning and decision making, and funding opportunities for specific site based actions. www.biopama.org