In its bid to stop excessive fishing in its water bodies, Ivory Coast has opened its first protected marine area.
The area will see the protection of sharks and turtles on the Westt African giant’s coastline.
Spanning 1000 square miles, the area is in the town of Grand-Bereby and is in line with the realisation of U.N’s target of conserving nature.
The area, which is larger than Ivory Coast’s most popular city and its commercial capital, Abidjan is home to a diversity of water creatures including a school of fishes, coral reefs, crabs, and turtles.
The protected marine area is expected to help boost tourism in the country and will also contribute to the UN’s target of conserving 30% of the world’s plants and animals.
West Africa, notorious for poaching of animals in the wild and unregulated, indiscriminate fishing has some of the most biology-dependent livelihoods in the continent. A lack of control on fishing activities has been pointed to as a potential risk to the livelihoods of many in the region, and has also led to the extinction and endangerment of some important species in the ecosystem.
As part of the model in the protected area, there will be sustainable fishing practices and ecotourism to keep locals involved.