Biophysical Survey of Mafia Island Marine Reserves

damage at present, but if further use is made of the island, monitoring needs to be
put in place to ensure that run-off of pollutants does not cause greater problems.
• The use of the island and reef sites by fishermen engaged in commercial lobster
fishing needs to be monitored to ensure that fishing levels do not exceed
sustainable levels.
D. Revisions to reserve boundaries
It is recommended that revisions to the reserve boundaries for all three reserve
areas are made in order to ensure that ecologically important habitats are included within
the reserve areas. Site connectivity means that reef and seagrass habitats within the
reserve areas are likely to have close associations in terms of provision of feeding,
breeding, shelter, and nursery areas with many species moving between sites on a daily or
seasonal basis. In addition, a clearly defined reserve boundary which includes the whole
of the shallow reef and seagrass areas is easier to manage as confusion is avoided over
whether particular sites are included inside the reserve area. Preservation of local
ecosystems in their entirety will therefore help to ensure that conservation actions are
effective from both ecological and management perspectives.
The following reserve boundary revisions are thus recommended:
Nyororo Island Marine Reserve:
1) Lat 7° 35’ 24”S, Long 39° 40’ 20”E
2) Lat 7° 36’ 00”S, Long 39° 42’ 44”E
3) Lat 7° 37’ 00”S, Long 39° 44’ 24”E
4) Lat 7° 39’ 30”S, Long 39° 43’ 70”E
5) Lat 7° 39’ 30”S, Long 39° 40’ 20”E
Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve:
1) Lat 7° 42’ 60”S, Long 39° 41’ 60”E