Mozambique has a very important shark and ray area with more than 120 confirmed species, almost half of which are threatened with extinction (Critically Endangered - CR, Endangered - EN, and Vulnerable - VU) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species (IUCN, 2020).
Due to the increasing pressure on populations of these marine resources in Mozambique, it is crucial to adopt a national action plan to conserve sharks and rays.
ADNAP and its conservation partners, including WWF, WCS, and TRAFFIC, have been working on a National Management and Conservation Action Plan for sharks and rays since 2018. They have also been developing the NDF Tool since 2021.
ADNAP, with the support of WCS, organized a workshop in Maputo City on February 7 and 8 2024. The workshop aimed to validate the NDF Tool and the National Action Plan for the Management and Conservation of Sharks and Rays. The event was attended by 38 representatives, including provincial delegations of ADNAP, Mozambique Oceanographic Institute (InOM), National Fish Inspection Institute (INIP), Customs, Coastal, Lacustrine and Fluvial Police (PCLF), and the Community Fisheries Councils from Zambezia, Sofala, Gaza and Maputo province. The workshop ensured all relevant actors' involvement, inclusive, and transparent participation in the process.
Group photo at the workshop to validate the NDF Tool and National Action Plan for the Management and Conservation of Sharks and Rays
On 9 February, a small group made up of representatives from ADNAP, InOM, ANAC, and WCS met on Macaneta Beach to harmonize the NPOA document to incorporate the contributions gathered at the workshop and thus move towards the final draft of the document for later submission to and approval by the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP).