A tourist eyeing the gorgeous azure waters around Zanzibar, Tanzania, might think about taking a frolic in the waves, but for local fishers, the sea means business--the seafood business.
According to the UNFAO, about 1 billion people in developing countries rely on seafood as a primary source of animal protein , and millions of jobs are linked to fisheries.
Many of these jobs, however, are now in peril.
In Zanzibar, Tanzania, over fishing, illegal fishing (by blast fishing), and climate change are among the many challenges that are affecting the livelihoods of small-scale fishermen.
What can be done?
Local communities are looking at banning blast fishing and turning to alternative livelihoods such as seaweed farming to help grow the local economy. Seaweed has many uses and is a highly demanded raw material for manufacturing medicines and cosmetics.
A new World Bank program, the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and Shared Growth Program (SWIOFish) is working with local community members to conserve the Zanzibar coast and grow the local economy. SWIOFISH Tanzania is a $36 million program working to improve the governance of priority fisheries such as tuna, prawns, octopus, reef fisheries as well as seaweed farming.
By working in partnership with the government in the daily management of marine resources, SWIOFISH brings in the coastal communities as co-managers of their own resources.
There is hope that better governance in the fisheries sector can help improve livelihoods in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Tweet this: See how #goodgov can help transform coastal livelihoods in Zanzibar.
Tweet this: Transforming Zanzibari livelihoods through #goodgov and seaweed farming.
Original source of the story: http://wrld.bg/SfhZi
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