Developing the first Marine Protected Areas in Sierra Leone

January 2010

EJF is in Sierra Leone to launch the development of the country's first Marine Protected Areas.

EJF Senior Campaigner Duncan Copeland is in Sierra Leone for the official launch of the Sustainable Coastal Zone Management Project, which aims to develop the country's first Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Marine Protected Areas offer the opportunity to conserve endangered species such as turtles and manatees, key ecosystems such as mangroves, and allow the protection of important breeding areas for many species of fish. The project is therefore crucial not only for the protection of biodiversity, but will also directly help local fishing communities who will benefit from improved catches outside the MPA boundaries.

EJF is working with our local NGO partner the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), along with key government agencies including the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Forestry Division, and Institute for Marine Biology and Oceanography.

The project is also part of the wider Regional Conservation Programme for the Coastal Zone of West Africa (PRCM), whose key supporting partners in Sierra Leone include Wetlands International, FIBA, and the IUCN. Also crucial to the project will be the participation of local fishing communities in the proposed sites.

Speaking at the launch Duncan said 'Marine Protected Areas are a key tool in efforts to conserve and manage marine resources in countries such as Sierra Leone. Not only do they offer the opportunity to protect some of the rarest species in the world, they also crucially can directly benefit livelihoods and food security in local fishing communities.'

EJF looks forward to working with all our partners towards the succes of this very exciting project, which is a key component in EJF's campaign to end pirate fishing and achieve sustainable fisheries to the benefit of Sierra Leone and West Africa.