Advancing community-led fisheries and ocean conservation in Mozambique
Along Mozambique’s 1,500-mile coastline — the fourth longest in Africa — the ocean sustains millions of people and extraordinary marine biodiversity in the Western Indian Ocean. Nearly half of the country’s population lives along the coast, where communities depend on healthy oceans for food and income. Many of these households also depend on smallholder farming to support their families.
Yet these resources face mounting pressure. Overfishing, destructive fishing practices, habitat degradation, weak governance, and climate change are reducing fish catches and degrading marine ecosystems. These challenges threaten food security and livelihoods for small-scale fishers and farmers. Through community-led solutions, Rare works with coastal communities to restore fisheries, protect biodiversity, strengthen food security and livelihoods, advance gender equity, and support climate-resilient futures.
The Tide We Turn
Along Mozambique’s coast, small-scale fishers are confronting cyclones, declining catches, and a changing ocean.
Strengthening community leadership in fisheries management
Rare partners with coastal communities and governments to strengthen fisheries management and local leadership. Our work centers on the Community Seas — the nearshore waters where millions depend on healthy fisheries for food, livelihoods, and cultural identity.
Rare works with coastal communities and local leaders to establish community-managed fishing areas with “no-take” marine reserves to protect and rebuild fisheries while strengthening livelihoods. Rare also works to secure these areas as OECMS, strengthening community rights and contributing to broader conservation goals.
Coastal 500 is the largest global network of mayors and local government leaders committed to fostering thriving and prosperous coastal communities.
The Rare approach to community-led conservation
We work with communities to lead conservation and build the conditions that help it last.
This includes strengthening rights, governance, livelihoods, and culture, while also working beyond the community level to ensure policies, finance, and other systems sustain these efforts over time.
Designing solutions that work for people and nature
We design solutions grounded in how people make decisions and act. We work with communities to align new practices with local priorities, social norms, and daily realities — and use tools and technology to support adoption, learning, and scaling.
Strengthening policies that support community leadership
We work with communities and governments to shape policies that recognize local leadership and support long-term stewardship of natural resources.
Expanding access to finance for communities
We connect communities to financial tools and opportunities that strengthen livelihoods and help them adapt to environmental and economic change.
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Rare partners in Mozambique
Rare works with a wide range of partners in Mozambique. This sampling of past and present donors and partners includes:
Blue Action Fund (BAF), Bloomberg Philanthropies, Margareth A. Cargill Philanthropies, national, provincial, and district governments, local government departments, fishers and fisher associations, universities, NGOs, and other civil society groups, among many more.
We are grateful to the partners and supporters whose collaboration makes our work possible.
Partner With Us
Healthy oceans depend on strong partnerships and community leadership.
If you are interested in partnering with Rare in Mozambique or supporting community-led fisheries management, we would love to hear from you.
Contact Us
For more information on Rare’s work in Mozambique, please contact us.
