The initiative has been launched by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, in partnership with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It will see the development of a marine hatchery to support ecologically sustainable development of aquaculture in Zanzibar, leading to positive economic and food security outcomes.
The immediate objective of the project is to support the construction and operation of a marine multi-species hatchery and offer support to aquaculture farmers in Zanzibar. The operational hatchery will cost-effectively provide milkfish, crab and sea cucumber seed for outgrow farmers and other profitable aqua-farmers.
Shinyoung Pyeon, deputy country director for KOICA Tanzania, lauded the cooperation in the development of this project. “In 2012, KOICA undertook a feasibility study on mariculture in Zanzibar. The results showed high demand for marine products in Zanzibar but also identified challenges. We hope this project will have a significant impact in boosting the economic growth and food security of Zanzibar”, he said.
Patrick Otto, the acting FAO Representative in Tanzania, said that the project was designed in a way that guaranteed sustainability. The plan, Otto said, included the establishment of a project board to advise and provide the strategic direction for the hatchery. The board will also promote activities to encourage the private sector participation and investment in the development of the sub-sector. The board will also engage government in mariculture related activities.
He also underlined the need for the project to engage continuously with various stakeholders, and stressed that the small-scale farmers, entrepreneurs, and traders, remained important industry stakeholders due to the fundamental role they played in profitable production, development of the value-chains, and in implementing measures to ensure access to markets.
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