Between 1998 and 2005, the Comoros island of Mohéli was the setting for an initiative that brought together international organizations and local communities in creating a co-managed marine protected area. The idea was to conserve 404 square kilometres of ocean, home to key marine species such as the coelacanth, humpback whales, dugong, and dolphins, while benefiting local livelihoods through ecotourism.

The result, the Mohéli Marine Park, is an ongoing experiment in setting the right conditions for co-managed marine management. Benefit-sharing arrangements and enforcement of harvesting regulations are key issues that have affected the success of the initiative in recent years; early results in increasing live coral cover on the park's reefs and increases in tourism numbers, however, indicate that the park may yet be able to deliver on its promise.

 

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2002

Founded: 1995

Location: Mohéli island

Beneficiaries: 10 communities of southern Mohéli coast

Biodiversity: Mohéli Marine Park

 

Case Study

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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