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Dear
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Far
away from prying eyes, a calm strip of Atlantic
waters in West Africa has been home to
some of the world’s most threatened marine
species.
From the critically
endangered humpback dolphin and angel shark
habitat, to the foraging grounds of sea turtles
-- Loango Bay makes up for an
ecosystem rarely seen on
Earth.
But it is all hanging by
a thread.
A surging demand for shark fins
and petroleum has brought a swarm of commercial
fishing trawlers and oil
rigs, pushing this precious pocket
of ocean life to the
brink.
Congolese activists have
been working tirelessly to protect
165,000 acres of critical
habitat. They’ve come up with a
brilliant plan -- transform this magical place
into a gigantic Marine Protected Area, the size
of ninety THOUSAND soccer
fields!
They’ve lined up the help of the
government, the community, and even of the
scientists from a prestigious university to help
it recover -- but they need to
raise nearly a million dollars fast, or it could
all fall through.
One wealthy
supporter has said they’ll match anything raised
1:1 -- literally DOUBLING our impact! So, if
enough of us step in, we could make their dream
possible in days. Donate what you can now and
let’s help turn this threatened slice of
paradise into a beautiful marine
sanctuary:
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Thousands
of foreign fishing vessels ply African waters
every year, straining fisheries dramatically.
Over three billion people around the
world depend on marine and coastal biodiversity
for their livelihoods. And for
countries like the Congo, fisheries are vital to
the food security of local
communities. And it isn't just the giant
commercial trawlers. Loango Bay has also been
the focus of massive oil exploration -- a
possible oil spill could spell disaster
for the many endangered species who
call these magical waters home. A Marine
Protected Area of this size would allow fish
stocks to recover and help the local fishermen
currently locked in a battle of unequals. If
enough of us donate, we could:
- Help designate
a 165,000-acre critical habitat into a Marine
Protected Area;
- Support the
creation of a spatial plan that would
stop commercial fisheries;
- Protect
community fishing rights by
establishing no-take zones;
- Ensure that the
MPA is effectively patrolled and that
fines for illegal activities are channeled into
protection measures.
And if we
raise more, we’ll scope and support other
critically endangered habitats and species
needing urgent protection, while adding our
campaigning firepower to fight for all life on
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From
championing a global deal for nature that would
protect half of the Earth, to working with
indigenous communities to defend their lands --
our movement has stood at the forefront of the
fight to safeguard critical ecosystems so our
planet can thrive again. We’ve helped establish
a private reserve in Galapagos, and bought land
to stop the destruction of a snow leopard
habitat in the Himalayas. Let’s do it again for
this precious marine ecosystem, and the
communities whose lives depend on
it.
With endless hope and
determination,
Marigona, Mike, Sofia,
Heather, Mouhamad, Christoph and the whole team
at Avaaz
PPS - This might be your
first donation to our movement ever. But what a
first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies
entirely on small donations from members like
you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble
and effective. Join the over 1 million people
who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for
good in the world.
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