The continental platform that forms the Sofala Bank the largest platform on the east African coast extends for about 900 km from Angoche district in Nampula province south to the mouth of the Save River at the border of the provinces of Sofala and Inhambane. The proposed Beira marine protected area extends about 200km, from Marromeu National Reserve, south to the Save River (other parts that make up part of the Sofala Bank are protected MPA, e.g., the Primeira and Segundas, Marromeu, or proposed for an MPA, e.g., the Zambezi and Cherronga Coast), with the core of the MPA in Sofala Bay.



Most of this proposed MPA is made up of muddy sediments and relatively shallow, flat bottom, reaching depths of only around 20 meters. This makes this area not attractive for coastal and marine tourism, other than perhaps some deepsea fishing expeditions, but instead supports a great variety of marine and estuarine fauna and is one of the most important fishing grounds of Mozambique. This proposed MPA could extend just south of the Save River to include Bartolomeu Dias, or alternatively, the Bazaruto MPA could be expanded northward to include Bartolomeu Dias.


In the proposed Beira MPA, four main estuaries are found: the Pungue (located at Beira), Buzi, Gorongosa and Save River estuaries, with the highest density of mangrove forests in the Machanga district bordering the Save River and Inhambane province. Mangrove forests form an integral part of these estuaries. This area of the Sofala Bank is world famous for fisheries of crustaceans which include shrimp, lobsters and crabs. Most well-known are the prawns of the Sofala Bank, and two varieties the white prawn (Penaeus indicus) and brown or ginger prawn (Metapenaeus monoceros) make up over 90 percent of the prawn catch in the Sofala Bank. 



Other species such as the Tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon), the flower or banana prawn (Penaeus japonicus) and the zebra prawn (Penaeus semisulcatus) can also be found in these waters.kingfish and migratory tuna. Sharks are also found in the waters of the Sofala Bank, including the Zambezi, dusky, blacktip, hammerhead and tiger sharks.



Particularly important in and around the Sofala Bank are the five species of sea turtles that have been found, and that are often caught in the fishing gear of fishermen: green, loggerhead, olive-Ridley, leatherback and hawksbill turtles. The leatherback turtles feed on the zooplankton found in the area. The loggerhead and leatherback turtles can nest towards the south of the Sofala Bank and into São Sebastião, while green turtles tend to nest in the north of Mozambique and travel through the waters of the proposed Beira MPA. Two seal species have also been identified in the area: the crab-eater seal and the subantarctic fur seal.



About 180 kms north of Maputo lies Bilene, a small resort town on a beautiful lagoon. The proposed MPA would run south from Bilene roughly 100 kms to the town of Maniça across two provinces: Maputo and Gaza. This part of Mozambique’s coast is known for its fresh and salt-water lagoons, which often flank the ocean. The USAID SPEED+ project worked with WCS to finalize a proposed list of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and the proposed Bilene MPA is already designated as a KBA due to the prevalence of two threatened freshwater fishes that occur in the lagoons around this area. 


The designation of this site as MPA would not only help justify the establishment of stronger marine management and conservation measures, but also help to preserve the marine and terrestrial biodiversity in the areaThe most comprehensive overview of the marine assets in this region is in the 2012 Impacto study evaluating the coastal zones of the area.107 The reports list the prevalence of loggerhead, green, and hawksbill turtles found in the Bilene area.

 A smaller scale study looking at the Bilene lagoon, identified 49 species of fish. The study identified 46 species of invertebrates, such as gastropods, bivalves, crustaceans, sponges, corals, anemones, among others. And 30 species of seabirds were identified. The study lists all of these species in an annex to the report. Two threatened freshwater fish found in the lagoons of the area: Serranochromis meridianus (EN) and Chelia brevis (EN).The main blue economy potential in Bilene centers on coastal and lake tourism. 


There are plenty of lodges and restaurants and it is easily accessible from Maputo. There are no dive or ocean safari operators that we were able to identify, as most tourism is for beach goers. While it is an important area for marine conservation, the authors think the marine market systems and economic incentives that can help drive marine conservation and mitigate economic pressures on marine resources are not as pronounced as in other current or potential MPAs identified in this reference guide.