WCS leads conservation field initiatives across 24 countries with a team of more than 200 marine experts. Our programs strengthen ocean protection, improve fisheries management, and conserve vital marine species. We work in waters that are home to 90% of the world’s coral habitats, 75% of the world’s shark and ray species, and 60% of the world’s marine mammal diversity.
The goal of the WCS’s Marine Program in Mozambique is to support marine activities in the Western Indian Ocean that contribute to climate resilience and ongoing protection of key species and their habitats. Our efforts will ultimately contribute to local communities having ongoing access to vital natural resources and ecosystem services. WCS prioritizes the protection of critical ocean environments and climate-resilient biodiversity hotspots, such as coral reefs, shark and ray habitats, and breeding and migration sites for whales and coastal dolphins.
Goals
The goal of the WCS’s Marine Program in Mozambique is to support marine activities in the Western Indian Ocean that contribute to climate resilience and ongoing protection of key species and their habitats. Our efforts will ultimately contribute to local communities having ongoing access to vital natural resources and ecosystem services. WCS prioritizes the protection of critical ocean environments and climate-resilient biodiversity hotspots, such as coral reefs, shark and ray habitats, and breeding and migration sites for whales and coastal dolphins.
Activities
Support the Government on reconciling development with marine and coastal biodiversity conservation, including ecosystem services, by providing customized guidance on the adequate application of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimize, restore, offset) in development plans, strategies and projects, and aligning offset policy with national biodiversity targets.
Work with Government and conservation partners on creating the enabling conditions and capacity in local artisanal fishing communities to establish, legalize, manage and monitor sustainably co-managed Community Conservation Areas, protecting key biodiversity and improving food security, and developing and implementing innovative financial mechanisms to guarantee its long-term sustainability.
Support the Government to achieve its national targets to integrate 5% of the Marine Ecosystems in the National Network of Protected Areas by 2025 and improve the management effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas, focusing on areas that contain priority biodiversity.
Work with the Government, local conservation partners, academia and private sector on identifying Coastal and Marine Key Biodiversity Areas where harmful activities should be avoided, restoration activities should be implemented (coastal and marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves), and support the government on establishing a list of protected marine species.
Support the Government on biodiversity research, focusing on innovative scientific techniques to gather relevant information on priority species and ecosystems, that can contribute to their effective protection and management.
Provide training and share technical-scientific knowledge on:
i) sampling and monitoring techniques;
ii) visual identification of species (focusing on threatened species);
iii) new regional scientific information.
Collaboration to counter wildlife trafficking, through training and technical support on the correct identification of CITES / threatened / priority species, including using innovative techniques such as genetics.
Fund raising to implement the above-mentioned activities.