Kenyan coastal community fattens crabs to save mangroves.

Published: Oct. 5, 2020, 9 p.m.

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Nearly 20 years ago, a group of youths at Dabaso village located at the Mida Creek in Watamu - a small coastal town in Kenya, north of Mombasa, were concerned that mangrove forests along the creeks were getting destroyed at an alarming rate. Communities used poison to catch fish and mosquito nets. 

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They embarked on a journey to save the forest and fight the illegal fishing methods. But experts advised them that their efforts would not be sustainable if the locals did not have an alternative livelihood source. They started fattening crabs, which they sold to hotels, educating locals on mangrove protection. 

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Listen to how the Dabaso creek conservation group capitalized on the magical sunset, build a boardwalk to educate locals and groups on mangrove and crab farming, and why community ownership is key in conservation. 

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