The incubation programme 2021/2022 implemented in Tanga-Pemba Seascape saw coastal communities were trained on best crab farming, salt production and harvesting, dam preservation for salt production and treating the dams to prevent harm from invading pests.
The programme has enabled coastal communities to boost production, create more jobs for youth, raise household incomes and conserve marine resources and coastal ecosystems.
Fatuma Zarali, Kibaridi - Pujini village resident of Mkoani district in Pemba Island is one of the beneficiaries.
With the fundings by the IUCN, coastal communities in Pemba are better off with assured income and food security.
The beneficiaries were also trained on sea cucumber farming, mangrove conservation, vegetable farming, seaweed farming, how to utilize marine resources to improve their livelihoods, and conserve marine and coastal ecosystems.
They were facilitated with 29m/- by the IUCN to run salt and vegetable farming projects.
The main goal was just to help them improve their economic status, conserve marine and coastal ecosystems in Pemba which is on distinction due to illegal practices such as cutting of mangroves, over-fishing, pollution, mining and climate change.
“We are glad for what has been achieved so far because the training has brought positive changes to women and youth in Pemba Island,” she said.
Through the knowledge and skills gained from IUCN, beneficiaries have formed the Uvumbuzi Cooperative Society Group with a total of 24 members and are now engaged in salt farming and vegetable farming.
“So far we have been able to establish five vegetable farms, four salt dams for salt farming at Kibaridi - Pujini village, creating employment for 20 youth and managed to improve their livelihoods something that was not the case in the past,” he said,
Salt production has increased from 50 bags to 1500 bags per day that in turn has helped members of the association to transform their livelihoods.
The obtained money from selling salt and vegetable has been used to purchase one vehicle to transport salt and vegetable for sale at the market, carry patients to the hospital, buy water pumping machine for salt production connected from sea to the salt dams, water pipes, hoe, pay money to people built salt dams and other things.
Aziza Jumbe, another beneficiary from the Jifute Group in Pangani lauded IUCN for funding the oprogramme.
Right now crab production has increased from 50 crabs to 1500 crabs per month and they expect to increase to one tons per month, she said, noting that they have markets in both Pangani and Zanzibar.
“We have decided to engage in this farming after realizing that crabs are food in many countries and used for treating allergies and other diseases,” she said.
The training has helped people to shift from traditional farming to advanced practices. She said “Before IUCN intervention we are able to harvest 50 crabs per month, thanks IUCN for your support,”
Charles Oluchina, IUCN’s Regional Programme Coordinator Eastern and Southern Africa said that “We strive to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.”
He said the blue economy is linked to growing technology, change of attitude on economic opportunities and the fact that the two-third of the planet is blue and therefore forms the world’s largest ecosystem.
He said Tanzania is one of the world’s richest areas in -terms of marine resources and that it provides huge potential for the blue economy.
According to him, the most valuable assets in the country are fisheries, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs and sandy beaches. These assets contribute 1.7% and 30% of GDP of Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar respectively.
He said the marine and coastal ecosystems sustainability in Tanzania is threatened by natural and human sources.
He asserted that coastal tourism is currently a key potential blue economy sector for Tanzania. The sectors are the services of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Tanzania has potential to accelerate and upscale its blue economy agenda through enhancing conservation of its marine ecosystems.
The ongoing effort of the country in developing blue economy strategy is commendable.
“This provides a unique opportunity for the country to integrate economic and conservation aspects in its blue economy agenda for sustainability of blue economy activities in the country for the current and future generations,” he said.
The richness of marine and coastal resources also provide a huge opportunity for Tanzania to deliver its national, regional and global conservation and development commitments such as vision 2025 and 2050 for Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar respectively, SDGs, CBD 30x30 target and NDC of the Paris Agreement.
In collaboration with other Western Indian Ocean Countries, Tanzania has a potential to champion the Great Blue Wall (GBW) Initiative. The GBW is a WIO-led, Africa driven roadmap to achieve a nature positive world by 2030.
The goal of the GBW is to dramatically accelerate and upscale ocean conservation actions while enhancing socio-ecological resilience and the development of a regenerative blue economy by catalysing political leadership and financial support while enhancing regional collaboration and partnerships.
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