A Key Milestone for Ocean Conservation in 2025
- inforampstp
- Jun 1, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
In 2025, São Tomé and Príncipe has reached a historic milestone for ocean conservation with the announcement of the country’s first eight Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
The announcement by the Minister of Environment, Youth and Sustainable Tourism, Nilda Borges da Mata, during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, highlighted the creation of the country’s first MPAs as a pioneering step towards the global 30×30 commitment.
The newly announced MPAs combine fully protected areas with sustainable use zones, reserved for artisanal fishers using legal gear. According to a former local fisher and now conservationist for Fundação Príncipe, Manuel Gomes (Lindo), who has been closely involved in the process, “the MPAs are extremely valuable for fishers and the wider population. They guarantee that we won’t run out of fish in our waters,” while allowing damaged habitats to recover and fish populations to increase.
Benefits are also recognised along the value chain. Fish trader Natércia Silva (Téte) notes that fish are now fewer and further from the coast, adding that MPAs can improve livelihoods: “as long as they are well managed and properly monitored.”
This achievement is the result of a community-led and participatory process. Since 2018, 41 coastal communities have been engaged through more than 200 meetings and events, ensuring that local knowledge and priorities shaped the final design of the MPA network.
Alongside conservation planning, the project has supported alternative livelihoods and income diversification, helping communities adapt to declining fish stocks and prepare for future management measures.
Looking ahead to 2026
In early 2026, we look forward to the President of São Tomé and Príncipe His Excellency Carlos Manuel Vila Nova signing the Decree Law so the MPAs come into force. The project partners will work with Government on the formal establishment of MPA management committees and the development of management plans, grounded in the principle of co-management with local communities. Efforts will also focus on capacity-building for law enforcement, strengthening compliance and surveillance, and the installation of demarcation buoys to clearly mark MPA boundaries at sea.
Reflecting on this milestone, Pedro Ramos, Project Officer for Fauna & Flora in São Tomé and Príncipe, notes: “Our ocean is under immense pressure from climate change, destructive fishing and pollution. Reaching this point has taken collective effort. The real challenge now is ensuring effective management, so nature has the chance to recover.”
As the project moves forward, these actions will be critical to ensuring that these new MPAs become the first step towards an effective marine protected area network, to enable inclusive and lasting marine protection in São Tomé and Príncipe.
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