Chumbe Island is a unique, privately managed nature reserve developed and managed by Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd. (CHICOP). It is a rare example of a still pristine coral island ecosystem in an otherwise heavily overfished and overexploited area.

The nature reserve includes a Coral Reef Sanctuary, which has become the first gazetted marine park in Tanzania, and a Forest Reserve.

Chumbe is classified as a Category II protected area under IUCN’s WDPA listings where permitted uses include recreation (swimming, snorkeling, underwater photography), education and non-extractive research activities.

To establish the conservation value of the reserve, baseline surveys were conducted at the start of the project, and regular and thorough monitoring of the Chumbe marine and terrestrial ecosystems have since been carried out to ensure an adaptive management approach.