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Dear friends,
Far away from prying eyes, a calm strip of Atlantic waters in West Africa is home to some of the world’s most threatened marine species.

From the critically endangered humpback dolphin and angel shark habitat, to the foraging grounds of sea turtles -- Loango Bay makes up for an ecosystem rarely seen on Earth.

But it is all hanging by a thread.

A surging demand for shark fins and petroleum has brought a swarm of commercial fishing trawlers and oil rigs to the area, pushing this precious pocket of ocean life to the brink.

Congolese activists have been working tirelessly to protect over 165,000 acres of critical habitat. They’ve come up with a brilliant plan -- transform this magical place into a gigantic Marine Protected Area, the size of roughly ninety THOUSAND soccer fields!

They’ve lined up the help of the government, the community, and even of the scientists from a prestigious university to help it recover -- but they need to raise nearly a million dollars fast, or it could all fall through.

One wealthy supporter has said they’ll match anything raised 1:1, literally DOUBLING our impact, until we've raised enough! So, if enough of us step in, we could make this dream possible in days. Donate what you can now and let’s help turn this threatened slice of paradise into a beautiful marine sanctuary:

$2 to protect 15000 sq ft
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$4 to protect 30000 sq ft
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$8 to protect 60000 sq ft
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$16 to protect 120000 sq ft
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$32 to protect 240000 sq ft
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OTHER AMOUNT
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Thousands of foreign fishing vessels ply African waters every year, straining fisheries dramatically. Over three billion people around the world depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. And for countries like the Congo, fisheries are vital to the food security of local communities.

And it isn't just the giant commercial trawlers. The area surrounding Loango Bay has also been the focus of massive oil exploration -- an oil spill there would spell disaster for the many endangered species who call these magical waters home.

A Marine Protected Area of this size would allow fish stocks to recover and help local fishermen currently locked in a battle to defend their livelihoods that they cannot win alone. If enough of us donate, we could:

- Help designate a 165,000-acre critical habitat into a Marine Protected Area (MPA);
- Support the creation of a spatial plan to address competing fishing interests;
- Protect community fishing rights by establishing no-take zones;
- Work with partners to ensure that the MPA is effectively patrolled and that fines for illegal activities are channeled towards protection measures.
And if we raise more, we’ll scope and support other critically endangered habitats and species needing urgent protection, while adding our campaigning firepower to fight for all life on Earth:

$2 to protect 15000 sq ft
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$4 to protect 30000 sq ft
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$8 to protect 60000 sq ft
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$16 to protect 120000 sq ft
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$32 to protect 240000 sq ft
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OTHER AMOUNT
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From championing a global deal for nature that would protect half of the Earth, to working with indigenous communities to defend their lands -- our movement has stood at the forefront of the fight to safeguard critical ecosystems so our planet can thrive again. We’ve helped establish a private reserve in Galapagos, and bought land to stop the destruction of a snow leopard habitat in the Himalayas. Let’s do it again for this precious marine ecosystem, and the communities whose lives depend on it.

With endless hope and determination,

Marigona, Mike, Sofia, Heather, Mouhamad, Christoph and the whole team at Avaaz

<br>PPS - This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world.<br><br>

More information:

- Ensuring Sustainable Marine Conservation in the Republic of Congo
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- Overfishing in Congo threatens endangered sharks, report warns
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- Save Endangered Sealife From Overfishing in the Congo
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Avaaz is a 65-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here
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