Tanzania Resources

The role and feasibility of Marine Conservation Agreements in the Western Indian Ocean (pdf, 721k)

Tanzania

Status: In-depth

An in-depth law and policy analysis that assessed the potential application of Marine Conservation Agreements (MCAs) in Tanzania was undertaken in 2010 as part of a comparative analysis of countries bordering the Western Indian Ocean. The complete report with all references can be downloaded from the resource box on the right.

Quick Peek — MCA Implementation: The legal and policy frameworks of both Zanzibar and Tanzania are amenable to MCA implementation, though more so in Zanzibar. This analysis found three operational MCA projects in Zanzibar's coastal waters, but only one in Tanzania's. Read more below >>

Overview

The coastal waters of Tanzania harbor some of the richest marine resources in the Western Indian Ocean.1 In recognition of this value, at the World Parks Congress in 2003, the government announced its intention to increase the percentage of MPAs to 10% by 2012 and 20% by 2025.2 To date, progress has been good and the 2012 target has already been achieved.3 The table below outlines Tanzania's existing MPAs in more detail.4

Green turtle, Tanzania. Photo © J. Rubens/Sea Sense

Although the constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania lacks explicit provisions on environmental management and protection, the legal system has wide-ranging institutional and legislative coverage of natural resources issues, including coastal and marine resources. However, these laws and policies have been established and implemented by the two governments of the United Republic (Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar), causing legislative overlap, friction and contradiction.5,6 As such, environmental law and policy for Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania are discussed here separately where appropriate.

Legal and Policy Framework: Mainland Tanzania

Tanzania's overarching environmental legislation is the Environmental Management Act 2004 (EMA), which provides a framework for sustainable management of the environment and repeals all earlier laws and provisions that are inconsistent with it on environmental matters.5 Marine Protected Areas are established under the Marine Parks and Reserves Act 1994, whereas National Parks with marine components (Saadani, for example) are declared under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1974. The table below summarizes relevant policies and laws.7

Owners and Managers: Mainland Tanzania

Responsibility for environmental management lies with the Ministry for the Environment and Human Affairs within the Vice-Presidency. The Marine Parks and Reserves Unit (MPRU) of the Department of Fisheries is responsible for managing marine protected areas, whereas the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) is mandated with establishing national parks, including marine national parks. Ten further ministries have at least partial responsibility for marine, coastal and broader environmental issues, creating confusion, conflict and overlap.8

Legal and Policy Framework: Zanzibar

In Zanzibar, the Environmental Management for Sustainable Development Act 1996 and the Forest Resources Management Act 1996 provide the legal basis for protected area establishmen. The former sets out four types of protected area for Zanzibar: Controlled Areas (now known as Conservation Areas), Sanctuaries, Parks and Reserves. The latter is predominantly concerned with land-based protected areas. The 1988 Fisheries Act also permits the formation of MPAs in territorial waters.9 The table below outlines pertinent policies, frameworks and legislation.10

Owners and Managers: Zanzibar

The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Co-operatives (MANREC) has overall responsibility for protected areas with management split on a site-by-site basis between the Departments of Fisheries and Marine Products and of Commercial Crops, Fruits and Forestry (DCCFF).6

Anthias and fire coral, Chumbe Island. Photo © Frida Lanshammar 2006

MCA Implementation and Examples

The legal and policy frameworks of both Zanzibar and Tanzania are amenable to MCA implementation, though more so in Zanzibar than in Mainland Tanzania.11 This is in part due to the complexity of Mainland Tanzania's institutional framework (noted above) and in part because Zanzibar has been less guarded about courting foreign direct investment. It is perhaps unsurprising, therefore, that this analysis found three operational MCA projects in Zanzibar's coastal waters, but only one in Tanzania's.

Chumbe Island, Tanzania

Established in 1994, Chumbe Island was Tanzania's first MPA. See the detailed Chumbe Island Coral Park field project in this toolkit. Chumbe Island is a private marine reserve and ecotourism destination, with a 0.3km2 area of reef managed under a 10 year renewable lease with the Government of Zanzibar. Tourist revenue covers basic management costs and local fisherman are employed as park rangers.

Misali Island, Zanzibar

Misali was founded by local communities in response to a controversial planned tourist development, and is jointly managed by the Misali Island Conservation Association (MICA) — which comprises some 700 local stakeholders — and the DCCFF. Although the Zanzibar Government covers salaries and office costs, the initiative is additionally supported by CARE International, which raises funds through tourist levies. Sixty percent of these fees goes on conservation activities, with the remainder funding local community development projects.11

Checking a turtle nest on Mafia Island. Photo © C. Muir/Sea Sense

Mnemba Island, Zanzibar

Mnemba Island is a high-end ecotourism resort managed by &Beyond Africa (formerly Conservation Corporation Africa—CCA).11,13 CCA acquired rights over a certain area of adjacent ocean area with reefs and works with the Department of Fisheries to patrol and collect fees from divers in the area.12 These fees, together with proceeds from the lodge are reinvested in a fund for community development.

Mafia Island Turtle Incentive Payouts, Tanzania

In 2002, in response to widespread poaching of green turtle nests, WWF initiated a program to engage stakeholders and elect turtle monitors at the Mafia Island MPA.14 A Tanzanian NGO Sea Sense was established to train monitors and pay them to patrol nesting beaches, relocate nests, and assist with tagging and data collection. The presence of the monitors was not a sufficient deterrent, however, so a direct incentive scheme was devised the following year. The scheme paid members of the local community USD 3.50 per nest discovered, USD 0.07 per successful hatching and USD 0.04 per each unviable egg. As a result, poaching of turtle nests dropped from 100% in 2001 to just 1.6% in 2008.

MCAs in Tanzania are thus more widespread and varied in their management approaches than elsewhere in the region. Due to the number of successful projects, it is submitted that any of the organizations noted in the case studies would be suitable implementation partners.

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