Dugong MOU supports market analysis for alternative fishing community livelihoods in Bazaruto Archipelago National Park in Mozambique

In March 2023, the Secretariat of the Dugong MOU launched a global Concept Note Call for projects to support community-led activities addressing key threats to dugongs and their seagrass habitats. Fundação Likhulu, through African Parks, submitted a proposal for work in Mozambique that was accepted.

African Parks is a non-governmental conservation organization that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks across Africa in partnership with governments and local communities. It currently manages 22 protected areas in 12 countries on the continent. Fundação Likhulu provides supplementary technical and scientific support to African Parks in Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago National Park.

Likhulu’s Project, titled ‘Readiness assessment and market analysis of alternative livelihoods for local fishing communities in the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park’, aimed to identify and assess the feasibility of establishing and sustainably running enterprises to incentivize fishing communities to minimize harmful practices threatening Bazaruto’s dugongs and seagrass meadows. The project assessed the feasibility of available and potential domestic and international markets for two types of community-owned micro-enterprises—a Dugong Dhow Safari business and a Women’s Needlework venture.

Concluded in 2023, the Project found the Women’s Needlework enterprise to have a promising and viable market in local luxury tourism retail outlets. It identified potential stockists and appropriate pricing for hand-crafted fabric products, providing a robust foundation for the enterprise’s establishment and development. The Project determined the exact costs of seed funding required to initiate and sustainably run the small business at a profit. This knowledge will enable the business to become fully self-financing, adequately supported, and have the best possible prospects of financial profitability and scaling-up. While the Dugong Dhow Safaris showed promise as a viable and profitable enterprise, it was concluded that its benefits would not reach many fishing families.

Furthermore, it has been determined that voluntary Marine Conservation Agreements could be effective in incentivizing Mozambican fishing communities to shift from destructive fishing practices to tourism-focused livelihoods.

With the feasibility assessment successfully completed, Fundação Likhulu looks forward to moving towards the next stage of the project, implementation, aiming to establish the Women’s Needlework enterprise in June 2024. Given that the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park’s Community Department is currently under development, the Needlework enterprise will be initiated at Santuário Bravio de Vilanculos, a private Marine Protected Area on Bazaruto’s southern boundary. Likhulu is committed to acting as a long-term collaborator and business partner to the community enterprise, supporting set-up, marketing, oversight and sustainability. The establishment of this enterprise requires further investment of USD 62,000, part of which has already been secured.

In alignment with the mandate of the CMS Office - Abu Dhabi regarding the Dugong MOU, the Secretariat extends an invitation to all interested stakeholders to approach Fundação Likhulu via the below contact details should they be interested in supporting its impactful work.

The ‘Readiness assessment and market analysis of alternative livelihoods for local fishing communities in the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park’ Project was financially supported by the Dugong MOU, with matched funding provided by the Prince Bernhard Nature Foundation (via Conservation Connect) and Windfall Foundation.

The Secretariat of the Dugong MOU extends its sincere gratitude to the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi for its unwavering support to the Dugong MOU and the CMS Office – Abu Dhabi. Without its continued commitment, this pioneering project would not have been achievable.

 

Fundação Likhulu’s contact details

[email protected] | [email protected] | www.likhulu.org.mz

© Karen Allen

Last updated on 27 May 2024