Ocean Protectors & Community Fisheries Council

The health and sustainable future of Malamba's communities and coastal ecosystems are deeply intertwined. Yet while the seascape forms the foundation of community well-being, governance of natural resources is almost completely lacking and has never been formalized.

In 2021 we partnered with community leaders and Ocean Revolution to establish a new CCP, or Community Fisheries Council. In 2023, we forged new partnerships with two exemplary organizations - Fauna and Flora and Blue Ventures - to support the CCP with governance and technical training, mentorship, and support for the development of an ocean-based livelihoods management plan. Our shared goal is to create a model of seascape governance that is effective at empowering and supporting local leadership toward the recovery of reef and coastal resources.

Key Milestones

In 2022 and 2023, 100+ community members, fishermen/women, local retailers, traditional leaders, and local authorities participated in multiple meetings held at MCC where overwhelming consensus was gained to form the CCP.

In partnership with Ocean Revolution, formal elections were held in February 2023 and the first-ever CCP governing council was formed. An HQ was established and a CCP logo was designed. Two nuclei sites were also established - one on the southern boundary and one on the northern boundary of the CCP - to ensure fair and equitable access across the two communities.

MCC secured funding for the construction of the new CCP HQ, which was completed in March of 2024.

An MOU was signed between MCC and the newly forming Malamba-Mazuene CCP towards collaborative management and technical and financial partnerships.

MCC secured a long-term commitment from both - Fauna and Flora and Blue Ventures - organizations with exemplary values - to support the CCP with governance and technical training, community-led fisheries monitoring, and financial support for the sustainable development of ocean-based livelihoods, and development of a fisheries management plan.

In August 2022, the newly formed CCP was invited to Inhambane Bay by Ocean Revolution for a 3-day exchange workshop and to meet the 13 Inhambane Bay CCP's alreadysuccessfully pioneering conservation and sustainable fisheries in one of the nation's most competitive fishing regions. The technical exchange included process and strategies for community-led governance, fisheries management, permaculture and animal husbandry and forms of alternative livelihoods.

With the support of MCC, the Malamba-Mazune CCP is now present and represented in regional and local coordination meetings held by district and provincial government in the state capital.

Participatory mapping of coastal resources was accomplished in 2023 through a partnership between the Malamba-Mazuene CCP, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Universidade Pedagogica-Maputo, Associacao NATURA, and the Swedish Agricultural University.

The CCP formed a Savings and Loans program supported by MCC.

Benefits of legal establishment of CCP include:

Benefits of legal establishment of the CCP include:

Producing a management plan for the sustainable use of fisheries resources while establishing protections for endangered and protected species;
Protection of the marine ecosystem from illegal activities;
Establishing no fishing zones at nurseries and reefs and no fishing periods to help bolster production;
Technical training and capacity building and financial support for the CCP activities;
Establishing partnerships with Mozambican and international universities for marine research, mapping, and training of CCP members as citizen scientists;
Trainings and building alternative professional skills for CCP members to help create alternative income solutions and help reduce the need to survive only through fishing;
Implementation of programs in partnership with the CCP to support to create such alternative income and reduce pressure on marine resources resources such as permaculture, beekeeping, aquaculture (inland lakes), native trees nurseries to promote coastal Miombo reforestation, diving (Marine monitoring/research and tourism), microcredit and savings models for better financial management of income, and small scale livestock;
Establishing infrastructure, logistical capacity and supply adequate equipment to enhance the capacity of the CCP to implement and maximize its activities, protect the marine ecosystems and implement their management plan.

This approach helps meet multiple objectives including reducing financial dependence on fishing activities while creating alternatives and to alleviate current poverty; promoting the leadership role of women on the daily management and decisions about natural resources; increased technical capacity and skills-building for CCP members, especially for CCP youth and women; growing support and increasing the technical capacity for local communities to manage and protect their own marine and coastal resources while guaranteeing access to these resources for future generations; the recovery of key species and marine ecosystems; and increase variety of options for the community to reduce dependence on and pressure on currently highly fluctuating and dwindling marine resources.

2023-2025 Priorities

Legalize and officialize the CCP at District and Regional level. Secure a budget for support of the legal documentation process, basic infrastructure (HQ & outposts), financial management (microcredit and savings training), sign boards, uniforms and basic stationary, legal training, ecology training, law enforcement training, mapping and reef surveys with species ID training, catch monitoring procedures and needs.

Expand the CCP program to Mangate (north of Mazuene) in partnership with local leaders and the District of Vilankulos.

Forge partnerships - technical and financial - for long-term sustainability of the CCP. program to Mangate (north of Mazuene) in partnership with local leaders and the District of Vilankulos.

Expand the Create a comprehensive CCP vision and management plan through a participatory and knowledge-drive approach. Ensure the plan is in accordance with national and international laws and secure funding for effective implementation of high-priority interventions.

Assess the potential for fresh water fisheries sustainable use as an alternative to marine resources.

Establish programs to bolster food security and alleviate poverty- technical trainings with a specific focus on CCP youth (electrical, plumbing construction, science, tourism, and more), apiculture programs, permaculture/horticulture programs, small livestock programs, native tree nurseries/Miombo reforestation programs.

Key Milestones

Benefits of legal establishment of CCP include:

2023-2025 Priorities

Find out more about our programmes:

Biodiversity & Traditional Knowledge Mapping

Coastal Forest Guardians, The Honeybee Alliance & Family Forests

Next-Generations: Environment & Wellbeing

Ocean Protectors & Community Fisheries Council

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