The Wildlife Conservation Society is working with Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute in pioneering a project aimed at generating carbon credits from seagrass beds in Kenya. BNCFF is funding measures that address threats from unsustainable fishing practises to seagrass in the communities of Vanga and Jimbo, located in the transboundary area between Kenya and Tanzania.
The new project builds on a successful blue carbon program based on mangrove restoration and protection and extends it towards seagrass beds. With the support of the BNCFF, at least 300ha of seagrass beds in Vanga Bay will be protected by communities, and carbon credits sold to voluntary carbon markets using the Plan Vivo system and standard. Despite the relatively small size of the focus area, there is considerable scaling potential. In addition, seagrass beds have been largely overlooked in the blue carbon discussion so far and project success can pave the way for more holistic approaches covering those ecosystems critical for climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, and community livelihoods.