From poaching turtles to protecting seas: Manuel Gomes helps create marine reserves

São Tomé: Africa’s second smallest nation has its first marine reserves, and a former turtle poacher helped make them happen.

São Tomé and Príncipe approved two marine protected areas on Tuesday: Santana and Ilhéu das Rolas. Together they cover 40 square miles off the Gulf of Guinea coast. Industrial fishing will be banned, but sustainable fishing practices will still be allowed.

Manuel Gomes, the subject of a 2023 documentary about his shift from poaching to conservation, helped develop both reserves. “There will be no more destruction of habitats caused by fishing nets, no more endangered species being caught, no more small fish caught outside the legal limit,” Gomes said. “Habitats that have been destroyed will regenerate.”

Pedro Ramos of conservation charity Fauna & Flora said the move comes as pressure on local waters grows. “I’ve lived near the coast my entire life and I’ve never seen our sea under such immense pressure. It’s more important than ever to step up and save our ocean,” Ramos said.

The approval marks the island nation’s first formal step to protect marine habitat and fish stocks after years of overfishing concerns.