Maputo, Dec. 19, 2025 (Lusa) - Mozambican authorities announced today that they will deploy 314 inspectors to reinforce the preservation of marine and coastal resources and environmental protection during the festive season, calling for compliance with safety measures in protected areas.
"The figure of 314 that I mentioned refers only to Inamar staff, but we are still working with partner institutions to harmonise the effective deployment of staff from those institutions," said Ciro Novidade, a member of the Marine Planning and Management Division at the National Marine Institute (Inamar), at a press conference in Maputo.
According to the Inamar representative, the measure aims to ensure greater safety during the festive season, when there is greater pressure on beaches and national parks from visitors, and therefore calls for compliance with safety measures to prevent incidents.
"The appeal for this period, which is one of greater pressure, is that we use our waste and have the capacity to collect it at the end of use, (...) not allowing the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the water or on the beaches," requested Ciro Novidade.
The national director of Environment and Climate Change, Francisco Sambo, said that the Government is preparing an environmental awareness and education programme involving 100 beaches, which will start on Saturday and may extend until 5 January.
Sambo called for compliance with the authorities' warnings to prevent people from staying in areas at risk from climate change.
"We need to pay close attention to the warnings issued, especially by the National Institute of Meteorology, so that we do not go to the beaches when weather conditions are unfavourable (...) to avoid incidents," warned Francisco Sambo.
The director-general of the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), Pejul Calenga, also said that the presence of inspectors in the parks will be reinforced, with a view to raising awareness of speed limits and also reinforcing some rules, such as not removing warning signs inside protected areas, which "are very important (...) and can save lives".
"There is a strong tendency to slow down to take photos, and the congestion that will occur at this time is not compatible with the environment surrounding that area of the park corridor, due to the presence of wild animals," said Calenga, adding that the massive presence of people can enrage the animals and result in material damage and injuries.
At least 319 people died, and another 83 were reported missing in 2024, following accidents at sea and on rivers in Mozambique, according to a report published in January by the National Sea Institute.
The deaths, resulting from 271 accidents, include 132 drownings and 76 shipwrecks, as well as 39 animal attacks, among other "accidents" that also injured 17 people and caused 83 to go missing. The country recorded a 270% increase in the number of missing persons and a 51% increase in deaths compared to 2023, when 211 deaths and 30 missing persons were recorded, according to the report.
Mozambique has 14 important ecological regions, some of which are considered globally significant. The National Network of Conservation Areas covers approximately 26% of Mozambique's territory and comprises 19 national parks and reserves, 20 official hunting grounds, and a variety of other categories of conservation areas, whose monitoring is said by these inspectors.
VIYS/ADB // ADB.
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