AFRICA
PROTECTING THREATENED MARINE LIFE IN CÔTE D ’ IVOIRE
Côte d ’ Ivoire ’ s Grand-Béréby coastline and nearshore area hosts some of the most significant marine life in West Africa . Sadly , encroachment from commercial fisheries has led to the over-exploitation of fish stocks , damaging the fragile marine ecosystems .
To halt this destruction , Rainforest Trust worked with our local partner , Conservation des Espèces Marines ( CEM ) to create the first ever Marine Protected Area in Côte d ’ Ivoire .
The Grand Béréby Marine Protected Area spans 640,000 acres of coastal , mangrove and marine habitat and hosts vibrant sea life . Critically Endangered Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks , Endangered Blue Whales and many others have been spotted in these waters . The beaches are one of West Africa ’ s most important sea turtle nesting areas , hosting Endangered Green Turtles , Vulnerable Olive Ridleys and Vulnerable Leatherbacks during the breeding season . The shallow rocky reefs just offshore provide nutrition and safety for turtle hatchlings .
The new protected area is also vital for communities . CEM has incorporated the natural resource needs of the local community into the management plan for the Grand Béréby Marine Protected Area . They are educating and assisting local communities with sustainable fishery practices and increasing eco-tourism to bolster the local economy .
Rainforest Trust is continuing our work to protect this vulnerable coastline with CEM on another 1.1 million-acre Marine Protected Area .
This project was supported by our generous donors with leadership gifts from EnviroBuild , que , Don and Karen Stearns ; the Conservation Action Fund and the SAVES Challenge . Thank you .
PROTECTED IN AFRICA
2020
645,911
1988-2020
15,661,971
ACRES SAVED
2020
PHOTOS Top : The Endangered Blue Whale , by Andrew Sutton . Middle : Baby Leatherback Turtles — only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood . Photo by CEM . Bottom : The Critically Endangered Slender-Snouted Crocodile , by Karel Bartik .
27,156,542mT
1988-2020
CARBON STORED
1,335,079,788mT
BIRD SPECIES PROTECTED
77 1988-2020
34
2020