Nacala is an area that sports a large number of different habitats and good potential for conservation initiatives that can leverage the involvement of the private sector. The area has received and is receiving considerable investments by large extractive companies, such as Vale, as well as a handful of small-sized tourism operations. Ilha de Moçambique, for instance, was, prior to COVID-19, experiencing improvements in the quality and number of hotel offerings.






Despite its great potential, Nacala is still overlooked by most conservation efforts. Given the level of interest by a number of institutional and private sector partners, well-designed conservation interventions could achieve tangible and sustainable results relatively quickly, taking advantage of the financial contribution of companies such as Vale and the Mozambique Railway Company (CFM).


Seagrass habitats in the Nacala Bay Area are now limited to a few areas, particularly on the southern side of the bay, and have seen a significant decline in seahorse populations. These seagrass beds, scattered with coral outcrops are a unique nursery habitat for a number of species, including frogfish, Rhinopias, seahorses, ghost and various types of pipefish, and other species that are difficult to find elsewhere in Mozambique.


 Dugong are now a rare sight. The tidal movements of water in the bay bring lots of nutrients to growing colonies of corals, that develop from very shallow waters to depths of 40 meters. A 2012 study by Obura identified 220 species of hard corals and suggested the number could be as high as 297 species an incredibly high amount that merits further study, particularly in light of the importance that this coastal area has for marine repopulation.89

The deep waters off the coast of Nacala bay are often frequented by female humpback whales and their calves, who find rest in the sheltered waters of the bay. Congregations of kingfish have also been witnessed here, possibly as part of the fish reproduction cycle. 


There are abundant coral gardens, some walls and a few swim-throughs, an ever-surprising number of cryptic critters in the lagoon, and ancient shipwrecks in the areas of Ilha de Mozambique. The marine life is diverse, with lots of nudibranchs, leaf fish, ribbon eels, frogfish and ghost pipefish. On the outer reefs, walls and gorgonians are a typical sight of this area.

A unique feature around Nacala are the sinkholes, or underwater caves, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. The Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is world famous for its sinkholes, or cenotes, which attract the dive tourism sector in abundance. Florida, in the US, and Moorak in Australia also have well-known sinkholes to dive.The deepwater port in Nacala is both an opportunity and a threat to the nearby marine resources. 



Several organized criminal operations are run in the North of the country and through the port of Nacala by different syndicates to traffic ivory, drugs, ruby, timber and people. Capitalizing on, and in turn driving, widespread corruption, these different groups have enjoyed near total impunity (Haysom, 2018). On the back of these illicit traffickers, a large number of marine species have also been exported to Asian markets, including seahorses and sea cucumbers, bringing significant pressure on the local marine ecosystem.


Nacala’s population is currently growing at a lower rate than other Mozambican cities. The population is still below 300,000 inhabitants. New investments, however, are likely to strengthen migration to the urban area, raising demand for marine resources.  Traditional fishing gear includes trawls, gillnets, hand lines, traps, and harpoons. These fishing activities often take place in essential fish habitats, such as reproduction areas and nurseries, and bring significant damage to the coral reef. Most of the catch is for local consumption or sale in local markets. Given the remoteness of the region and general lack of electricity, the most common methods of fish preservation in the region include sun drying, smoking, and salting.



As part of the gas value-chain developments that are taking place in Northern Mozambique, the bay of Nacala will see a considerable development of new industries and infrastructure that will increase pressure on the marine environment. One of these, for instance, is the construction of a fertilizer plant with production capacity of 500 thousand tons per year. With access to markets in Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and large markets in Asia, Nacala is the most  suitable location in the region for such a large investment due to its established transportation.


 A newly constructed world-class airport makes accessibility to Nacala much easier than in the recent past. Because of the easy access, the potential for tourism and scuba diving from Mozambique, South Africa and Europe, is vast. A thriving scuba industry can function as a watchdog for the health of the marine environment, as it is threatened by the new industrial developments.


The blue economy web of actors is larger in the Nacala-to-Ilha seascape than any other proposed MPA, which while complex to coordinate, offers funding, vested interests, people, and industry who can come together to govern the area, as well as begin collecting key data sets to inform future management plans.