ITMEMS 1998 Proceedings - Case Studies

Session 7 - Destructive Fishing Practices and Collecting Methods

Silencing the Dynamite Fisheries along the Tanga Coast, Tanzania [Adobe Acrobat Format 55 Kb]

The Tanga Region is the most northern coastal region of Tanzania encompassing the three coastal Districts of Muheza, Pangani and Tanga Municipality. The Region extends 180 km south from the Kenyan border and supports a number of ecologically important and diverse habitats including coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coastal forests. It is important as a turtle feeding and nesting area and provides feeding grounds for over 1% of the world’s population of crab plovers (Dromas ardolea). Reef development along the coast is broken with 41 distinct sections of coastal fringing reef, and a total of 55 patch reefs along the length of the coast (Figure 1). Thirty of these patch reefs are adjacent to the continental shelf (outer patch reefs) with 25 patch reefs (inner patch reefs) located in shallow water (less than 25 m) between the coast and continental shelf. In total there are 96 reefs in Tanga covering 376 km.

Studies of the condition of the Tanga Region’s reefs have been sporadic. Early work tended to be descriptive (Ray 1968; UNEP 1989) and/or sampled a small proportion of the reefs in a localised area (Ray 1968; IUCN 1987; UNEP 1989). Nonetheless an impression of how some of these reefs have changed can be gained from Ray’s (1968) description of some of the reefs adjacent to Tanga town as being among the best along Tanzania’s coastline. By 1987 however, this situation had drastically changed. A study undertaken by IUCN concluded: ‘the reefs are extensively damaged throughout the Tanga Region. In most areas a percentage cover of live corals of less than 20% was recorded. In some areas live coral cover was less than 10%. On Niule reef (leeward side) a live coral cover of less than 1% was estimated’ (IUCN 1987).

A wider survey of the reefs was undertaken in 1995 (Horrill 1996), the purpose of which was to assess the extent of reef degradation, reef biodiversity and levels of resource use. From a sample of 14 coastal reefs, 17 inner patch reefs and 27 outer patch reefs, it is estimated that 12% of reefs are completely destroyed, 24% are in good condition with the remaining 64% in poor or moderate condition. Information from communities and monitoring systems that have been established since the assessment took place indicate that most of the damage to reefs north of the Pangani River is the result of dynamite fishing (Horrill 1997). Incidences of this type of fishing are of lower order of magnitude south of the River. It is also of interest that the majority of sampled reefs destroyed or in poor condition are adjacent to areas of high human population density, that is adjacent to, or to the north of, Tanga town. Conversely, reefs in relatively good condition are adjacent to low human population density areas, especially those south of the Pangani River.

Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania: Implications of Applying a Marine Park Paradigm in a Developing Country [Adobe Acrobat Format 126 Kb]

The group of islands incorporating Mafia Island lie off the east coast of Africa and are a part of mainland Tanzania (Figure 1). The islands are within 20 km of the mainland coast and under the influence of Tanzania’s largest river, the Rufiji. Mafia Island Marine Park (MIMP) was gazetted in April 1995, and its boundary incorporates varied coral reef, mangrove, seagrass and soft bottom habitats, islands of raised Pleistocene reef, cays, and coastal forest with a total area of 821 km² (Fig. 2).

This paper critiques the process and motives for the establishment of the MIMP. The paper explores conservation advantages and disadvantages of the establishment of the Park and the use of the World Conservation Union/Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (IUCN/GBRMP) paradigm for its management. The premise that the project was a model of community participation and represents a new approach is challenged. The management of two key environmental threats (dynamite fishing and coral mining) are used to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of transposing conservation and management paradigms from developed countries to developing countries.

Bridging Community Needs and Government Planning in the Togean Islands, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia [Adobe Acrobat Format 49 Kb]

A global ‘hot spot’ analysis by Conservation International (CI) identified the ‘Wallacea’ region of Indonesia, including the Togean Islands, Central Sulawesi, as one of the top 19 global biodiversity hot spots. These hot spots are areas of highest species diversity and endemism, and are under greatest risk — therefore critical for long-term conservation strategies.

Conservation International first became involved in the Togean Islands through support for primate conservation in Sulawesi. Sulawesi represents an incredibly diverse floral and faunal intersection of the South-East Asian and Australian biogeographical regions which has resulted in an astounding number of endemic species, including a macaque found only on the Togean island of Malenge.

The presence of endemic species and the biologically diverse and economically valuable marine environments prompted CI to develop, in partnership with Indonesian NGO, YABSHI and a long-term research and conservation program in the Togean Islands. Local project activities are administered from a permanent research station established by YABSHI at Malenge Island and managed as a locally-based entity called Sekber Konsorsium Togean. Increasingly, since the partnership began with CI in 1992, YABSHI has expanded its scientific role to community development and policy outreach to build political support for conservation. In addition to bringing its conservation expertise and help in acquiring funding for the project, CI has taken the lead in the development of community-based conservation enterprises.

Konsorsium Togean’s goal is to develop an integrated marine and terrestrial protected area in the Togean Islands, in which coastal communities, local government and other stakeholders can achieve consensus upon the designation, delineation and management of the area.

This paper briefly presents the successes, challenges and lessons learned in implementing a tropical marine ecosystem management project in the Togean Islands archipelago.

Session 7 Report: Destructive Fishing Practices and Collecting Methods [Adobe Acrobat Format 21 Kb]