Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve Receives Blue Park Award
Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve Receives Blue Park Award; Joins Growing Global Marine Conservation Network
Nairobi, December 9, 2021: Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve makes history as Kenya’s first Blue Park. Marine Conservation Institute has honored the park with a gold level Blue Park Award for achieving the highest science-based standards for marine life protection and management. Kisite-Mpunguti, managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), joins a growing network of 21 Blue Parks around the world designed to protect and regenerate our oceans biodiversity.
Park Warden of Kisite-Mpunguti, Paul Wambi, celebrated news of the award, “We are delighted that Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve has been designated a Blue Park. As Kenya Wildlife Service, we would like to thank all of our dedicated staff, local community, and partners for making Kisite-Mpunguti a beacon of hope for marine conservation. This award only serves as motivation for us to work even harder to make Kisite-Mpunguti a sustainable MPA [marine protected area] that benefits both nature and humanity.”
Established by the Kenyan government in 1978, Kisite-Mpunguti combines two contiguous areas that surround two nearby islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya. One, the Kisite Marine National Park, is 28 km2 and the second, Mpunguti Marine National Reserve, is 11 km2. Kisite is a no-take, fully protected area while Mpunguti allows artisanal and recreational fishing for local fishermen. Both areas host snorkelling, diving, and wildlife viewing.
Dr. Lance Morgan, President of Marine Conservation Institute, said about Kisite-Mpunguti’s award, “We are excited to see new Blue Park designations accelerating the protection of the most important places in our oceans. Kisite-Mpunguti is a perfect example of an important and richly biodiverse place to protect while at the same time providing local communities with food. It is the first Blue Park award in Kenya which has a coastal area that supports so much important marine biodiversity.”
Kisite-Mpunguti protects a number of the region’s distinctive ecosystems: mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. This diverse area shelters a rich biodiversity of marine mammals, fish, seabirds, and sea turtles. Kisite Island is recognized as an Important Bird Area by the Birdlife International because it provides an important, remote breeding area. Among the marine mammal species found in these waters are dugongs, whale sharks, and sperm whales – all considered vulnerable or endangered species. Five vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered sea turtle species also forage and breed in the park.
Dr. Sarah Hameed, Senior Scientist and Director of the Blue Parks initiative said, “I look forward to working with the Kenya Wildlife Service and its partners to share the story of this extraordinary new Blue Park is and how well it serves its local communities and visitors. We hope that Kisite-Mpunguti becomes an MPA that others in East Africa are modelled after as it truly protects this unique place.”
A total of 21 MPAs around the world now hold the prestigious Blue Park Award for meeting the highest science-based standards for marine life protection and management. The Blue Park Award recognizes outstanding efforts by nations, MPA managers, and local community members to effectively protect marine ecosystems now and into the future. The award elevates these astonishing places and their vibrant marine life. It is also intended to motivate other nations to strive for strong and effective MPAs that conserve marine wildlife. Blue Park Awards support international progress towards the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Target 11, UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, and the longer-term goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.
About Blue Parks
Blue Park Awards were established by the Marine Conservation Institute to encourage governments to safeguard marine wildlife, secure critical habitats, promote resistance to climate change, and ensure the beauty of our oceans for future generations. The effort aims to assemble an effective network that protects and sustains marine life and habitats globally. As of today, there are 21 marine protected areas that have been awarded Blue Park status. In addition to awarding new Blue Parks today, Marine Conservation Institute has launched collaborations – Blue Sparks – with groups planning new marine protected areas and upgrading existing marine protected areas in the U.S., Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Mozambique to ensure their efforts result in future Blue Parks.
About Kenya Wildlife Service
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is a government agency with the mandate to conserve and manage wildlife in Kenya and to enforce related laws and regulations. KWS undertakes conservation and sustainable management of wildlife resources across all protected areas’ systems in collaboration with stakeholders.
About Marine Conservation Institute
Marine Conservation Institute, founded in 1996, works in the U.S. and globally to seek strong protection for at least 30% of the ocean by 2030—for us and future generations. Our focus on protecting the ocean’s most important places follows several lines of work: identifying and advocating for strong marine protected areas; improving laws and other tools to better conserve marine biodiversity; catalyzing effective conservation by recognizing and elevating the best marine protected areas as Blue Parks, and accurately reporting on global conservation efforts with our Marine Protection Atlas (MPAtlas.org).
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