Parks & Reserves: Primeiras and Segundas Marine Protected Areas

"Last week, the East African nation of Mozambique announced it was protecting 10,411 square kilometers (4,020 square miles) of coastal marine waters, making the new Marine Protected Area (MPA) the biggest on the continent. The protected area, dubbed the Primeiras and Segundas Archipelago (“First” and “Second” islands), includes ten islands as well as mangrove forests, rich coral reefs, and seagrass ecosystems . . . The new protected area has been heavily fished by both commercial fisheries and artisanal fisheries with all targets considered overexploited. The Mozambique government said the new protections would safeguard fish nesting areas. In addition the area is home to important breeding grounds for marine turtles, dugongs, and seabirds."