Coastal East Africa

The coast of Mafia Island in Tanzania. Currently, over 20 million people live in and along coastal forests and landscapes in Eastern Africa.

Coastal conservation

WWF is working with partners at the local, national and regional level to secure a healthy environment along the coast of East Africa.

This will be achieved by:

helping coastal communities sustainably manage natural resources for their own benefit;
strengthening national legislation and management systems for sustainable fisheries and logging operations;
improving habitat and species conservation; and
developing effective marine protected areas.

Useful Links

Where is the East African coast?

The East African coast is highlighted in blue.

View WWF Critical Regions of the World on a larger map

WWF Goals

By 2020 priority landscapes and seascapes are conserved through networks of protected areas.
By 2020 mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change are under implementation.
By 2025 at least 80% of the timber and fisheries products are sourced from sites and producers that practice legal and sustainable management.
By 2025 key habitats and species are conserved, continuing to provide goods and services to more than 20 million people.

Facts & Figures

The coast of East Africa stretches 4,600km from southern Somalia to the Natal shores of South Africa.
The East Africa coast supports rich wildlife populations of which 60-70% are found only in the Indo-Pacific and 15% are found nowhere else in the world.
This includes:
- 3,000 species of molluscs
- 1,500 species of fish
- 1,000 species of seaweed
- 300 species of crabs
- 200 coral species
- 100 species of sea cucumbers
- 50 species of starfish
- 35 species of marine mammals.

First Indian Ocean tuna fishery certified sustainable

WWF congratulates the Maldives Pole and Line Skipjack Fishery today for becoming the first Indian Ocean tuna fishery to receive certification according to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. WWF has been an active supporter of the Maldives aspirations for certification, as well as an active player throughout the whole assessment and accreditation process.

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WWF calls for firm limits on tuna fisheries to address overfishing

Manila, Philippines: WWF urges the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) bringing together Pacific Island, Asian, the US, EU and other countries in their annual meeting, to adopt pragmatic rules for limiting the catch of species in the Western Central Pacific Ocean in an effort to stem overfishing occurring in the region.

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