This document is the internship report, as part of the collaboration between MPO (Canada) and CROHB (Benin) on the creation of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Benin. Indeed, the main economic activities in the coastal zone of Benin revolve around animal and vegetable production, the processing of these products and other activities (exploitation of sand quarries, salt farming, installation of the Acadjas system, development of tourism). Improving the living conditions of populations living near these ecosystems and maintaining their activities cannot be separated from the sustainability of marine and coastal resources. Faced with this observation, several projects and studies have been conducted for the establishment and management of priority areas for the conservation of biodiversity in order to ensure the maintenance of the biological wealth of the coastal zone. As part of this project, Large Marine Ecosystem of the Current of Guinea (GEM — CG), four (04) potential sites have been identified for the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Benin. These are: Nazounmè - Bouche du Roi site, Avlékét-Togbin site, Avlékété site and Lake Nokoué lake site. Actions have already been carried out since 2003. This internship is therefore only a logical continuation of all his actions already undertaken to maintain collaboration.

All in all, the establishment of MPAs in Benin has taken off. The communities at the grassroots are well disposed and there is a draft document of the legal and regulatory framework for the creation of marine protected areas in Benin. In the coming months, the CRHOB will have to pursue a series of activities in order to make the marine protected area in Benin functional. To do this, a business plan is proposed for the year 2008 (see annexes).