Post by Fauna & Flora

Great news from São Tomé and Príncipe! 🎉 Two new marine protected areas (MPAs) have just been legally recognised – that’s over 63 square kilometres of marine habitat that will be sustainably managed for the benefit of people and nature. 🌊 Local communities, who rely on fish for food and income, have seen a dramatic decline in fish stocks in recent decades. Largely due to industrial and destructive fishing, and exacerbated by climate change. These new MPAs are designed to turn the tide, giving fish populations a chance to recover so that ecosystems can thrive and support local livelihoods and food security. Manuel Gomes, better known as Lindo, is a local fisher who has been instrumental in efforts to design and develop the new MPAs. He shares: “I believe that the MPAs are extremely valuable to the fishers of Príncipe and the wider population. They guarantee that we won't run out of fish in our waters one day.” “Clearly, the MPAs will benefit nature and the sea. There will be no more destruction of habitats caused by fishing nets, no more endangered species being caught, and no more small fish caught outside the legal limit. Habitats that have been destroyed will regenerate and there will be an increase in fish, molluscs and shellfish.” Markus Knigge, Executive Director of the Blue Action Fund said: “It’s fantastic to see the progress for these marine protected areas after much hard work, communication, participation and planning. The protection of these waters is critical for people and nature, and Blue Action Fund is proud to be supporting such important work.” Together with regional partners, local communities and the government, we have been working to strengthen marine protection through the co-design of MPAs. Going forward, we will continue to work locally to build capacity to co-manage the MPAs; develop sustainable finance mechanisms to support management costs; and ensure alternative livelihoods are viable and contribute to community well-being. 🤝🐟 The “Rede de Areas Marinhas Protegidas de STP” project is being implemented by consortium partners Fundação Príncipe, Oikos - Cooperação e Desenvolvimento and MARAPA with the support of Fauna & Flora, WildAid and Parliamentarians for Global Action. Key funders include Blue Action Fund, Oceans 5, Rainforest Trust, Bohemian Foundation and Arcadia. 📸 © Peter Richardson / Fauna & Flora 📸 © RSTP / Rede De Áreas Marinhas Protegidas De STP / Fauna & Flora