The Black mangrove is a key species within the mangrove forests that once covered more than 200,000 km2 of the tropical and subtropical coasts. However, they are disappearing worldwide at a rate of 1 to 2% per year.
Two of every three fish, caught by the fisheries, depend on mangroves. The average annual economic value of fisheries associated with mangroves is $37,500 US dollars per hectare.
