Gabon has announced a bold new initiative to conserve the “incredible natural treasures” of its coastal waters, Lee White, the Director of Gabon’s National Parks confirmed on Tuesday.

Speaking on the margins of the United Nations Ocean Conference, he said the network would include 9 new marine parks and 11 aquatic reserves covering just over a quarter of Gabon’s ocean territory.

The idea is to protect ecological resources and threatened marine species like the leatherback turtles and humpback whales, but also to restore and sustainably-manage marine fisheries.

Mr White sat down with Cristina Silveiro to explain the vision behind this initiative.

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