Sustaining the World's Large Marine Ecosystems

The Regional Marine and Coastal Conservation Programme (PRCM) for West
Africa was set up on the initiative of IUCN, WWF, Wetlands International and the
International Foundation for the Banc d'Arguin (FIBA), in partnership with the
Sub-regional Fisheries Commission (CSRP). It now represents a coalition of
nearly 50 partner institutions which aim to coordinate conservation efforts
directed at the coastal zone of Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau,
Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde.
For all West African seaboard countries, the coastal zone is an area of strategic
importance for economic development. All large urban centres are located there,
and nearly 60% of the inhabitants of these countries live on the coast. Over
600,000 jobs stem directly or indirectly from fisheries and related activities.
Marine and coastal resources have, however, considerably declined due to
human-induced pressures which are often too intense or poorly controlled (e.g.
pollution, overuse of resources, unsustainable fishing practices). In view of the
vulnerability of fisheries resources and the lack of effective management, marine
protected areas are set to play an important role in the recovery of marine
resources.
An aim of the IUCN and PRCM in the region is building the capacity of
institutional and nongovernmental stakeholders and local communities so they
can fully participate in the design, implementation, decision-making process, and
management of their MPAs. The network of 24 MPAs in this part of West Africa
covers 6 countries and has been regrouped under the umbrella of RAMPAO
(Regional Network of Marine Protected Areas in West Africa) to maximise the
exchange of lessons learned, training opportunities, research and international
cooperation.
The main long-term threats to biological diversity in the region are the erosion of
marine habitats, estuaries and waterways; overfishing of already depleted
fisheries; and the ecological effects of accidental bycatch. Managing these
threats, whilst taking account of the needs of local populations dependent on
marine ecosystems, remains a major challenge. MPAs are an effective means of
conserving biological diversity and species and helping fisheries become
ecologically and economically sustainable. On the coastline between Cape
Verde and Guinea, more marine protected areas are being planned and
implemented.
South China Sea LME
NHA TRANG BAY MARINE PROTECTED AREA: A MODEL FOR PROTECTING VIETNAM’S SEAS
The Hon Mun MPA Pilot Project in Nha Trang Bay is an Integrated Conservation
and Development Project and the first MPA to be established in the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam. The project, initiated in 2001, lays out plans for the
sustainable management of the Bay and will carry out community development
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