Using fisheries and biological information to inform co-management in Northern Mozambique – participatory approaches

The coastal communities of Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique are highly dependent on marine resources for food security and income, making them highly vulnerable to changes in the marine environment. This region also suffers... [ view full abstract ]

The coastal communities of Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique are highly dependent on marine resources for food security and income, making them highly vulnerable to changes in the marine environment. This region also suffers from rapid degradation of marine habitats due to a multitude of threats, including unsustainable resource use. However, the establishment of community-managed marine areas (CMMAs) is relatively new to Mozambique. We sought to use fisheries and biological information to establish best-practice CMMAs at six sites between the Rovuma River and Mocimboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado, with the inclusion of appropriate access and benefit sharing in order to sustainable manage a range of coastal habitats. CMMAs operate through a participatory co-management process including formulation of Conselho Comunitario de Pesca (CCPs – formally recognised community fisheries councils). These co-management plans include designation of no-take replenishment zones and temporal reserves to ensure fisheries enhancement is complemented by protection of biodiversity. A structured assessment of the fisheries and local ecology was used to inform the co-management process. Participatory and ground-truthed maps of fishing zones were overlaid with habitat health assessments using participatory data collection methods involving the CCPs and incorporating Local Ecological Knowledge. Three replenishment zones, as well as four temporal reserves. Here we report on the stages of this process, including octopus landings assessments from the first two cycles of the temporal reserve of Quiwia, community perceptions from intervention sites as well as perceptions of neighboring villages. Additionally we outline plans for expanding this model to other sites.