Chumbe Island is a small privately owned island a few kilometres off of the main island of Zanzibar, known for its ecological innovation and exceptional coral reefs. In 1992 the fringing reef west of Chumbe Island was officially closed to fishing, boating, and diving. In 1994, the island and its surrounding waters were declared the Chumbe Island Coral Park, which contains the Chumbe Reef Sanctuary and the Closed Forest Reserve. The park is run by the nonprofit private organization Chumbe Island Coral Park, Ltd. (CHICOP), which conducts marine research and small amounts of eco-tourism on the island. After the government of Tanzania established the protected area around the island and the fringing coral reef in 1994, the government gave the management rights to CHICOP, which is in charge of