Aquaculture: Management, Challenges and Developments

Why Aquaculture Trials Have Not Been Successful in Tanzania? 115

(Requintina et al., 2008). Shrimp farming has been operating in Mafia Island
and its production has increased from 59 tonnes in 2006 to 285 tonnes in 2013
(Table 2a and 2b).

Table 2b. Mariculture production by specie in Pemba and Unguja (in

tonnes/year)

Year/

Species

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Sea

weed

**

111830 94640 71860 73620 76760 84850 107925 102682 125157 130400 150876 110438 -

Milk

fish

• 
  
  
  
  • 
    
    
    
    • 
      
      
      
      • 
        
        
        
        • 
          
          
          
          • 
            
            
            
            • 
              
              
              
              • 
                
                
                
                • 
                  
                  
                  
                  • 10 10 -
                  
                  
                  
                  
                
                
                
                
              
              
              
              
            
            
            
            
          
          
          
          
        
        
        
        
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Source: FAO (2013).
** Include production for both Eucheuma denticulatum and Kappaphycus alvarezii species.

The cultivation of seaweed has increased steadily from a production of
71,860 metric tonnes (wet weight) in 2004 to approximately 110,438 metric
tonnes by 2013 (Table 2a and 2b). Most of the seaweed is produced in
Zanzibar (110,438 tonnes in 2013) whereas mainland Tanzania produces about
6,689 tonnes only^3. Currently, the entire seaweed crop is baled and transported
abroad for processing at a very high cost of transport while seaweed
commodities are re-imported back to Tanzania for consumption. For seaweed
farming to be more profitable, at least some significant part of the seaweed
crop has to be processed and consumed in Tanzania. The Zanzibar Seaweed
Cluster Initiative working with local entrepreneurs (mostly women) are trying
to do this through making seaweed soap, shampoo and oil as well as food
items such as cakes and juices. The most successful farmers of pearl oysters
are producing an average of 20 pearls per month earning at least 13 US$ per
raw pearl or 260 US$ per month. The production of crabs in 2012 was
estimated at one tonne annually (Table 2a).
Despite the existing potential for aquaculture development and the
government committment to ending decades of neglecting the sector,
aquaculture has continued to operate as a subsistance activity practiced by
poor small-scale farmers and much of its development is dependent on donor
funding. Consequently, the aquaculture industry has had insignificant
contribution to the welfare of the local community and the nation as a whole.

(^3) These figures (standardized wet weight for global comparisons) differ greatly from those
obtained from the MLFD (dried weight for marketing) which shows that for the past ten
years sea weed production ranged between 200 to 600 tonnes in mainland Tanzania and
between 6,000 to 13,301 tonnes in Zanzibar.