In Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, African Parks and the Government of Mozambique are conserving East Africa’s last-known viable dugong population, with the support of local communities. To enhance these efforts, local people are trained and upskilled in conservation methods, furthering the success of a long-term marine conservation strategy.

Satellite tagging dugong in Bazaruto, to better understand their movements for effective conservation, has provided an excellent opportunity to upskill locally employed park staff. After receiving initial technical training from James Cook University, Bazaruto’s research team invited the university to help deliver the first-ever tagging operation in Africa. With their support, six Mozambican staff members were trained to capture, tag, and sample dugong.

Dugong conservation helps support the broader marine ecosystem and a myriad of species. This contributes to local livelihoods in the form of healthy fisheries as well as tourism. As a result, and with continued awareness raising efforts, local anglers have begun to avoid using illegal gill nets which entangle and drown dugongs, and instead support sustainable fishing practices in the archipelago.