Manyange Na Elombo Marine Protected Area in Cameroon ^{CEFR B1}

The Manyange Na Elombo MPA sits in the Campo sub-division on Cameroon's coast and was designated in 2021. The coastal village of Ebodje, with about 3,000 people, is one of ten villages inside the protected area. Fishing is central to life: around 80 percent of the Iyassa people of Ebodje work as fishers. Local culture links to water beings called "Mengu" and to sea turtles; Manyange-Turtle and Elombo-Wolf-Rocks are sacred sites that gave the MPA its name.

Conservation goals in the decree include protecting coastal and marine biodiversity, limiting industrial fishing, safeguarding spawning grounds and improving local incomes through ecotourism and sustainable artisanal fishing. The decree allows activities that could interfere with these goals only after environmental impact studies, but experts and some residents say the designation lacked scientific study and a public management plan when created.

Development pressures include the Kribi deep seaport, about 22.9 kilometers from the MPA border, which locals say changed currents and caused erosion. Other projects near the area raise pollution and runoff concerns. Community groups now carry out participatory monitoring, but many residents remain unclear how the MPA will affect fishing and daily life.