资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

“People think octopus is a source of revenue and food for us. Little do they know how octopus and the fishery are coined in our traditions, culture, and a source of identity for our women,” said Shazia, a member of the Octopus Fisher Group in the Quirimbas National Park (QNP), Mozambique, dancing to the rhythm of a song called “Veda,” meaning closure, as the celebrations continued, seeking blessings from village elders to reopen the octopus fishing grounds. 

As her feet moved with the beat of the song, a tear rolled down her cheek. She smiled and looked up at the sky. I wasn’t sure if she was thanking her God up there for this happy day or just missing someone close. Before I could even ask, she narrated the event when the sea was closed for the first time by this community. 

“If there was one person who should have been here today, celebrating this day with us, it would be Lara. She is the reason behind this happiness. She introduced us to the octopus closures. Her work made our lives easier and today, when we are reaping the benefits of her work, she is not here to celebrate this success.” 

She looked toward the beach, took a deep breath and continued: “The first time Lara recommended closing the octopus fishery completely, meaning no fishing and no harvest, we all were worried. The closure of the sea meant limited income and lesser food for us, as we depend primarily on fishing for our food and earnings. Looking at my anxious face, she came toward me, held my hand in hers and politely told me that it was important to close the sea for a better yield later and to ensure the fishery is sustained for future generations. She reminded me how we, the women, are stewards of the sea and its resources. She shared her deep knowledge about the oceans and why it is necessary to conserve the resources today and to have limits. Otherwise, we will continue to exhaust the resources and we may lose this treasure completely. With her wide smile, she also promised me that she would be celebrating with us when the closure would open next time.

"Later when that happened, she not only accompanied us in the celebrations but also had a feast with us. Since then, this is first reopening ceremony when she is not celebrating beside us,” Shazia said, as tears rolled down her cheek, and her chin quivered trying to hide the emotions. It was clear that Lara had made tremendous contributions and connections to the community that you only see from very committed and passionate individuals. 

The communities of QNP face severe climatic shocks and threats, including drought. However, the incidence of tidal surge, freak waves, sea intrusion and floods are becoming more common, which affect the limited assets of the community. The communities are extremely vulnerable, dependent on the fish catch, even as it decreases.

Diversifying livelihoods remains challenging 
WWF understood that change can be difficult, especially when there is so little room for error. To ease the process, WWF organized learning visits to Palma district of Cabo Delgado province and across borders to South Western Madagascar to showcase how closed areas and no-take zones established by fishers were being respected, and the fishermen reaped benefits from such practice. 

“It was an eye opening visit and the elders of our village realized that without a closure of the fishery, there will be no future,” explained Shazia. She and her community were now relieved and they knew a way to overcome their problems. In the past, fishers would often stop fishing when it was a breeding period for fish species, and the village elders would agree to stop fishing for certain months. However, this practice was abandoned due to poor living conditions and growing poverty in the region. 

“Temporary fishing  closures made sense to us, and we had nothing to lose. The importance of the fishing closures started to become evident to us when our elders started pointing out the changing colors of the reefs we fished in. We recognized that we have created an imbalance,” explained Shazia. Following the learning visits, the communities agreed to close down six reefs that covered a total area of 2,500 hectares. “And then we had to wait. We waited for nine full moons until Lara gave us the good news: time to open up the fishery.”    

Shazia and her friends danced to the rhythm of the songs as they celebrated the first harvest after the reopening of the fishery in the reefs. They were catching bigger octopus and it was not difficult for them to find them in the sea. The octopus had grown dramatically fast in numbers and there were plenty of fish in the sea. The fishing season remained open for three months and during this period, the community had harvested over 12 tons (12,000 Kg) of octopus and eight tons (8,000 kg) of fish. 

“We were able to sell these at double the original prices due to their heavy weights. Consequently, our returns surged from MT100.00 to MT15,000.00 (US$1.5 to US$235),” said Shazia. “In the following years, the fishing closure became a permanent feature and is now well respected among the community members.”  

The social uplift and economic gains were evident, as gradually several community members started alternate income schemes, while some families started sending their children to schools. However, the most important feature of the fishery closures was women’s empowerment, and this allowed them to be more engaged in decision-making at the household level as well as the village level. 

“Lara ensured that the women of the village were empowered. She motivated us in the hard times, encouraging us to be a part of the Octopus Fisheries Women Association, where our capacity was built to implement octopus closures and carry out octopus fishing. Today, due to her sincere efforts, this association has 308 members, of which 307 are women. Now, despite better conditions, the women of this village still go to the sea and we plan to teach octopus fishery to our daughters. It is a legacy that was passed on from our ancestors and was protected by Lara. We would like to see it embedded in our generations to come,” Shazia concluded with tears falling from her eyes, as she held her picture. With only a few words, she managed to communicate how octopus collection was much more than a source of income for her.  

This project of octopus closures implemented in QNP is just one example of the numerous changes triggered by Lara in several other communities through her work and dedication to conservation. Lara left this world on 14 October 2021, in a harrowing street crime. However, she left a mark in the conservation world as well as in the hearts of the community members she worked with. For the community in QNP, she protected a long-embedded tradition that could have been lost owing to the threats of climate change and overfishing. For them, she will always be the pearl upon the ocean that provided them food and livelihood security but is, simultaneously, a source of strength and empowerment for them.