Coastal and Marine Resources
In 2009, the Comoros submitted its Quatrieme Rapport National sur la Diversite Biologique (Fourth National Report on Biological Diversity) to the Commission on Biological Diversity.
The coastline of the Comoros is highly varied with low hills, cliffs, islets and atolls. A variety of different materials make up these landscapes, including lava, black or white sand beaches, pebbles, blocks and coral reefs. The biological diversity of mangrove swamps, coral reefs, beaches, herbariums and underwater plants is enormous and constitutesa potential tourist attraction. Currently sand, coral and stone coastal mining for construction as well as mangrove destruction are underway. These activities cause environmental degradation and speed the process of coastal erosion. The richness and biodiversity of both marine and land resources is seriously threatened by various human activities as well as natural phenomena.To combat this process of degradation, several coastal villages have begun the construction of retaining walls. In addition, ecologically important sea-level habitats such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and beaches are threatened by changing climate conditions, and additional degradation has a direct link with the high population concentration and economic infrastructure along the coast. Other practices such as fishing by destructive means, pollution discharge from pesticides, and the dumping of sewage and solid waste all increase the vulnerability of marine biodiversity. At sea, fishing techniques such as the use of toxic substances or dynamite pollute the water with substances that are extremely harmful to marine ecosystems and contribute to over-fishing along the coast and the destruction of corals. Conversely, the sea is at once underused by local fishermen, who do not have the means or access to the appropriate technology to efficiently and safely make use of the Comoros’ rich marine resources.
