Published 22 July 2026 · News
New funding has been secured to strengthen ranger patrols across Dungonab Bay–Mukkawar Island Marine National Park, thanks to a grant from Conservation Allies through its Conservation Action Fund for Africa (CAFA). The 12-month, US$15,812 award will support “Nature-Positive Patrols: Strengthening Marine Protection Through Local Ranger Leadership,” delivered by the Wildlife Conservation Forces (WCF) with support from our partner SUDIA.
Project at a glance
- Funder: Conservation Allies (Conservation Action Fund for Africa)
- Amount: US$15,812 over 12 months
- Delivered by: Wildlife Conservation Forces (WCF), with SUDIA
- Focus: Patrol operations, boundary signage, community awareness
Our park covers some 2,800 km² of Red Sea reef and coastal habitat, home to endangered sea turtles, groupers, and dugongs. Years of fuel and equipment shortages have made it difficult for our rangers to patrol consistently, leaving space for unregulated artisanal fishing — including the use of prohibited nets — to put pressure on this globally significant marine environment.
This funding gets our patrol vessels back on the water. It covers fuel and engine repairs, and supports salaries for eight to twelve rangers, working toward a regular schedule of around six patrols a month — roughly 72 over the year, up from near-zero under current constraints. It will also fund 15 permanent signs marking closed zones and key sites across the park, and introduce a standardised patrol log so our enforcement work is properly tracked and reported.
Alongside patrols on the water, we’re launching an Arabic-language awareness campaign, with legal orientation sessions for fishermen and community leaders hosted at the Mohamed Qol Women’s Center, and outreach to students through local schools. Strong relationships with our fishing communities are as important to protecting this park as fuel in the boats.
This project builds on our cooperation framework with SUDIA, signed in December 2025, and grew out of a joint planning session held in April 2026 with our WCF Relations team. It follows a long history of collaboration — including a patrol boat delivered by SUDIA under the 2016–2018 Darwin Initiative project, and ongoing work together through the UNDP/GEF community resilience programme.