The ocean provides us with food, oxygen production, natural protection and jobs for coastal communities. Humanity depends on the ocean to thrive, yet its resources are overexploited and rapidly depleting, posing serious risks to ocean health and its capacity to stabilize our climate, provide safe food, and support jobs and economies. Economic activities on land and in the marine environment have an impact on marine ecosystems. 




These impacts threaten the interconnected and fragile marine ecosystems that form a critical part of our life on land, our oxygen, our food sources, our climate, and our economies. Being aware of our impacts and properly managing and mitigating these threats can help ensure healthy marine ecosystems, which in turn benefits everyone. Marine conservation has proven highly beneficial for people, marine life and climate stability, and demonstrated the remarkable resilience and power of regeneration of ocean resources.




In this section, we provide a high-level overview of some of the main threats to marine ecosystems by blue economy activities and to specific marine assets in Mozambique. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather illustrative. For some blue economy sectorsspecies and habitats that are well studied, such as oil and gas development, turtles, dugongs, whales or mangroves, the threats and mitigation activities may be well documented. However, the authors have found many species, habitats and geographies/seascapes along Mozambique’s coast where little or no studies and information exist.



This is an expensive and timeconsuming endeavor, but we think small and strategically planned steps can help to better document and understand Mozambique's marine ecosystems and their associated threats. With this information, policy makers can then better design associated support measures.There are numerous cross-cutting threats to the ocean, such as from climate change, which enables the ocean to absorb more carbon dioxide, and which increases ocean acidification and bleaches coral, and increases sea temperatures, which affects marine species, and rises sea levels which impacts coasts. Increased pollution is also impacting our oceans, particularly plastics. 


The increased economic dependence on the ocean creates many threats to marine ecosystems, from fishing, to potential for shipping and oil rig accidents, to habitat loss and coastal development. Coastal areas are some of the most productive and biologically diverse on the planet. They are home to mangroves and sea grasses and are breeding grounds for sea turtles. And Mozambique’s coasts are also the most densely populated areas of the country, with two thirds of the population living in coastal zones. As Mozambique’s coasts offer stunning destinations for holidaymakers, they have also seen growth in development of resorts and increased numbers of tourists, who buy morefish and contribute to pollution (both plastics and wastewater). 


If not managed correctly, a variety of threats can impact marine and coastal habitats. Development can lead to clearing of mangrove forests and damage to seagrass beds from boats. The waste from tourists needs to be treated and discharged properly. Seafood caught to satisfy tourists' demand needs to be harvested sustainably. And snorkeling and scuba diving needs to be done responsibly, to avoid damaging corals from touching and boat anchors. Given resource constraints in Mozambique, creating, implementing, monitoring and enforcing regulations to curb the impact of marine and coastal tourism can be a challenge.

The artisanal fishing sector has particular importance for the country's food security and livelihoods as artisanal fishers can be found in all coastal provinces and also around lakes, rivers and inland lagoons. It is estimated that there are more than the 400,000 artisanal fishers that were reported officially in the 2012 fishing census, and the total catch from the artisanal fishing sector represents around 90% of the total catch of the country. Twenty percent of coastal families rely on fisheries for their income and twenty seven percent of the protein consumed by Mozambique’s population comes from fish.


And the commercial fishing sector is important for prawns, tuna and other species of fish. With a growing dependence on fishing as a food, livelihood and export revenue source, more and more pressure is placed on fish stocks. Threats such as overfishing, IUU fishing and incidental catch of protected species such as turtles, dolphins and dugongs are associated with fishing. Threats need to be managed properly, through training of artisanal fishers, management of fish stocks and monitoring and enforcing fishing regulations.  


Marine-focused extractive industries are a key part of the blue economy in Mozambique and have an impact on marine ecosystems.where exploration and extraction are underway and set to expand in the coming years. Deep-sea habitats remain understudied and poorly understood, and prospecting, drilling, and transport can seriously damage sensitive marine areas and disturb marine species. 


in the coming years. Deep-sea habitats remain understudied and poorly understood, and prospecting, drilling, and transport can seriously damage sensitive marine areas and disturb marine species. Because deepsea habitats are understudied, environmental risks are often inadequately assessed, and projects typically advance regardless of their 

ecological value. In addition, the environmental and social standards adhered to by extractive companies vary and can be difficult to monitor. Once drilling and prospecting begin, threats include hydrocarbon accidents in which diesel, gas or other hydrocarbons are released.