Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern African Region: How Successful Are They?

Francis, Julius; Nilsson, Agneta; Waruinge, Dixon

doi:10.1639/0044-7447(2002)031[0503:mpaite]2.0.co;2

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The marine park (declared as such in 1995) covers an area of 822km 2 . Within its boundaries, there are restrictions on resource usage, with destructive fishing practices and coral mining being prohibited (Francis et al 2002, Kamukuru et al 2004.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-random habitat use by coral reef fish recruits in Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania

Garpe¹,

Öhman²

2007

African Journal of Marine Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The habitat use by nearly 3 000 reef fish recruits, comprising 56 taxa, at seven sites in Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania, were examined. The study was carried out following the 1998 global coral bleaching event and all sites but one were dominated by dead coral and rubble. Mean recruit densities ranged between 0.1 m -2 and 0.7 m -2 among sites. Although live coral represented only 15% of the overall substrate composition, almost half of all observed recruits were found associated with this substrate. Pooled across all sites, 46% of the recruits used live coral cover in disproportion to availability. Principal component analyses were applied to explore microhabitat use by the 11 most common recruit taxa in comparison to availability. Among these taxa, 10 exhibited nonrandom microhabitat use and six associated with live coral in disproportion to availability. A comparison with the adult fish community revealed that adult abundances of four of the six coral selective recruit taxa were significantly correlated with live coral. The study demonstrated that reef fish recruits use microhabitats non-randomly and that a substantial proportion is selective towards live coral.

show abstract

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-random habitat use by coral reef fish recruits in Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania

Garpe¹,

Öhman²

2007

African Journal of Marine Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In Kenya, there are six MPAs covering nearly 10% of the continental shelf up to 200 m depth (835 km 2 ), being one of the highest percentages along the WIO [ 8 ]. These MPAs were designed initially to protect the nearshore habitats and sessile or benthic organisms [ 9 ]. After more than 20 years of MPAs establishment and monitoring, many studies have highlighted their positive impacts on local fish population (higher biomass and diversity) and status of coral reefs (higher hard coral cover and coral diversity) [ 10 , 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Static Habitat Protection Encompass Critical Areas for Highly Mobile Marine Top Predators? Insights from Coastal East Africa

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Along the East African coast, marine top predators are facing an increasing number of anthropogenic threats which requires the implementation of effective and urgent conservation measures to protect essential habitats. Understanding the role that habitat features play on the marine top predator’ distribution and abundance is a crucial step to evaluate the suitability of an existing Marine Protected Area (MPA), originally designated for the protection of coral reefs. We developed species distribution models (SDM) on the IUCN data deficient Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in southern Kenya. We followed a comprehensive ecological modelling approach to study the environmental factors influencing the occurrence and abundance of dolphins while developing SDMs. Through the combination of ensemble prediction maps, we defined recurrent, occasional and unfavourable habitats for the species. Our results showed the influence of dynamic and static predictors on the dolphins’ spatial ecology: dolphins may select shallow areas (5-30 m), close to the reefs (< 500 m) and oceanic fronts (< 10 km) and adjacent to the 100m isobath (< 5 km). We also predicted a significantly higher occurrence and abundance of dolphins within the MPA. Recurrent and occasional habitats were identified on large percentages on the existing MPA (47% and 57% using presence-absence and abundance models respectively). However, the MPA does not adequately encompass all occasional and recurrent areas and within this context, we propose to extend the MPA to incorporate all of them which are likely key habitats for the highly mobile species. The results from this study provide two key conservation and management tools: (i) an integrative habitat modelling approach to predict key marine habitats, and (ii) the first study evaluating the effectiveness of an existing MPA for marine mammals in the Western Indian Ocean.

show abstract

“…Considering types of fishing gear as poverty indicator, comparison across villages revealed that poverty was more prevalent in Songo Mnara where fishermen did not have a single outboard engine, or any ringnets but possessed several low cost fishing gears. Studies by Francis et al (2001) and Wagner (2004) indicate that one of the main underlining root causes of degradation in marine environments in Tanzania is poverty. Correspondingly, some of the lower quality gears are responsible for marine environment degradation through intensification of fishing in the same areas thus leading to over-exploitation.…”

Section: Poverty and Its Indicators In The Study Villagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic impacts on coral reefs and their effect on fishery of Kilwa District, Tanzania

Mbije¹,

Rinkevich²

2013

Ethiop. J. Env Stud & Manag

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tanzanian fishing coastal communities live on fishing activities as one their major economic activities, practicing fishing on shallow coral reefs areas whereby about 70% of fishery is artisanal. Improper use and overexploitation of fishery resources have resulted in damaging the coral reefs and the subsequent low quality catches. This study aimed at examining the impacts of coral reef fishery decline on rural livelihoods with an emphasis on food insecurity, alternative capabilities and activities on coastal communities of Kilwa district, Tanzania. Data collection methodology included household questionnaire survey, key informant interviews, participant observation and photographing. The survey was based on a sample of 90 households, randomly selected from three villages. The findings attest for a gradual reduction in fish catches over time, brought about by natural and anthropogenic impacts. Overfishing, use of illegal and destructive fishing methods, as well as extreme weather conditions, all threaten the sustainability of marine resources, particularly coral reef fishery that constitutes an important source of food and livelihood. Following the results and as a way of lessen the current pressure on marine resources and diversifying livelihood capabilities we recommend introduction of mariculture and modern farming technologies especially on green vegetables on farms that can potentially be irrigated. The study further recommends establishment of a marine protected area and; in addition, the need to promote educational programs on environmental and resources uses as well as application of active restoration protocols for damaged coral reefs.

show abstract

Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern African Region: How Successful Are They?

Cited by 15 publications

References 10 publications

Non-random habitat use by coral reef fish recruits in Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania

Non-random habitat use by coral reef fish recruits in Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania

Can Static Habitat Protection Encompass Critical Areas for Highly Mobile Marine Top Predators? Insights from Coastal East Africa

Anthropogenic impacts on coral reefs and their effect on fishery of Kilwa District, Tanzania

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About