Reefs of Zanzibar – Sea Sphinx

The reefs of Zanzibar

Photo of Zanzibar Tanzania, 2019, © Unsplash

Zanzibar is an island of Tanzania, located in the northeast of the capital, Dar es Salaam.

Zanzibar is surrounded by islets and sandbanks with 90 km2 of coral reef (20). Chumbe Island Coral Park, a Marine Protected Area just 0.4 km2, has over 200 coral and at least 432 reef fish species (21). The marine biodiversity is very rich and dependent on the reefs.

The island is experiencing significant tourist development, with an average water temperature of 27.5°C and lagoons. Today , Tourism generates 20% of Zanzibar’s GDP (22).

Over 90% of the marine fisheries in the country are artisanal, focusing on coral reef fish (Jiddawi et Öhman, 2002)(28).

Fishing is the main economic activity in coastal villages, with at least 34,000 artisanal fishers in Zanzibar (23). Fish provide 60% of the animal protein eaten in Zanzibar, and are therefore a vital part of the islands’ food source (24).

In some areas of Zanzibar, populations of commercial fish and shellfish species are so low that fishers cannot find them any more (25).

Destuctive fishing is a major pressure on Tanzanian reefs, specifically dynamite fishing and drag nets (e.g. Ngoile and Horrill 1993, Johnstone et al. 1998, Mohammed et al, 2000), and lately, ring nets (30).

Increase in the coastal population and poor economy as well as unplanned coastal tourism and coastal development have also been implicated in coral reef degradation (31).

Chemical and biological coastal pollution raises a serious concern regarding the
health of marine ecosystems around Zanzibar, including coral reefs (Moynihan et al., 2012; Nyanda et al.,2016)(27).

After a significant bleaching event in 1998, the corals displayed good regeneration on the studied sites (Mohamed et al., 2000; Muhando, 2001)(32, 33). This observation is encouraging for the resilience of Zanzibar’s corals.

Furthermore, Zanzibar is committed to preserving its natural heritage. It established its first Marine Protected Area in 1994 (26). Zanzibar has recently increased its conservation area by 10%, with 4 MPA expansions and 2 new ones (29).