Protecting marine life in Tanzania
The Pemba Channel in Tanzania is home to key sea turtle nesting sites, numerous endangered species including sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks, and some of East Africa’s most diverse coral reefs. It’s home to IUCN red-listed species, including four species of sea turtles, Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, humphead wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, and blacktip reef sharks.
This area holds immense cultural and economic importance for thousands who depend on healthy fisheries and coastal tourism for survival, including 400,000 people living on Pemba Island and 18,000 fishers that depend on fishing as their livelihood. Unfortunately, rampant illegal fishing seriously threatens the health of fish populations and other endangered marine species.
In 2019, WildAid Marine partnered with Marine and Coastal Community Conservation Zanzibar, a network of communities that manage their coastal resources, to strengthen enforcement in the region and protect Pemba’s marine life.
Read more about WildAid's impact in Tanzania here.
Combatting illegal fishing in Gabon
Gabon’s rich coastal waters are highly vulnerable to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Illegal fishing costs Gabon an estimated $610 million every year — roughly 3% of the country’s GDP — draining public resources and threatening food security, marine ecosystems, and livelihoods. WildAid’s marine program in Gabon strengthens the ability of local communities and authorities to protect their coastal waters and fisheries from illegal fishing. We support a comprehensive approach to marine protection that combines monitoring and surveillance with training, mentorship, community engagement, and sustained support.
Between 2024 and 2026, WildAid has supported 84 enforcement missions targeting small-scale fisheries, resulting in the inspection of 1,252 canoes and the detection of 185 violations — clear evidence that improved monitoring and surveillance can meaningfully deter illegal activity when properly resourced and supported.
Alongside enforcement, WildAid works directly with artisanal fishing communities. In 2025, WildAid and Gabon’s Ministry of the Sea, Fisheries, and Blue Economy completed a series of six community workshops across Coco Beach, Libreville, Kango, Port-Gentil, Olendé, and Omboué. These workshops helped clarify fishing regulations, legal gear requirements, and protection measures for endangered species such as sea turtles, manatees, and goliath groupers — all of which must be released if caught accidentally.
Together, these efforts help deter illegal activity, protect endangered species, and ensure that Gabon’s coastal communities can continue to rely on the ocean for food, livelihoods, and economic resilience.
Read more about WildAid's impact in Gabon here.