On Zanzibar awareness campaigns with partner marinecultures.org and other NGOs in the past have led to the understanding with a great part of the fishermen that leaving a part of the reef untouched (no fishing allowed or ‘No Take Zone’), marine life in the entire area will recover and fish stocks will increase. The so-called ‘spill over effect’ can take place, meaning that due to the fact the protected area blooms, this increase of life will spill over to the surrounding areas. The No Take Zones can be established for an indefinite period or for a couple of months (see Octopus Management), depending what we want to protect and what the stakeholders want.
Our strategy is to have a long term presence, do various community-based projects and awareness campaigns in order to create understanding and willingness with the local community to start a protected area. Or better - a No Take Zone. In 2020 new No Take Zones are discussed with the fisherman committees on Zanzibar (see Coral reforestation Zanzibar).
To facilitate enforcement of the rules in a protected area, CRC deploys buoys to mark the area (e.g. see Protection of Maziwe Island ). Also, we deploy mooring buoys for dive/snorkel vessels to prevent anchoring on the reef (see Our Buoys).
Our coral farm in Vipingo (Kenya) is already situated in a no Take Zone in an LMMA (Locally Managed Marine Area). Thus ensuring the coral tables ( Coral reforestation Kenya) that are positioned in shallow water don’t get damaged. Being often present in the area has a huge advantage since fishermen will uphold the rules of the protected area better.
