Mangroves are vital for food security and protection of coastal communities; they provide a wide diversity of forest products, nurseries for aquatic species, fishing grounds, carbon sequestration, and crucial natural coastal defences that mitigate the impact of erosion and storm action. Nevertheless, nearly all mangrove nations have experienced net losses in mangrove cover in recent decades as a result of human activity. Public attention has been sporadic and has failed to prevent the continued — and sometimes alarming — disappearance of these valuable coastal ecosystems. Their fate is often determined by high-level policy decisions and failure to enforce protective measures.