Appraising Aquaculture: the ZALA Park Fish Cultivation and Makoba Integrated Mariculture Pond System
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Appraising Aquaculture: The ZALA Park Fish Cultivation and Makoba Integrated Mariculture Pond System Item Type Working Paper Authors Ngazy, Z.M. Citation Informal meeting for Urban Environmental accounting Trieste, Italy 22nd – 24th April 2004 Download date 29/09/2021 18:04:31 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/837 Appraising Aquaculture: The ZALA Park Fish Cultivation and Makoba Integrated Mariculture Pond System Z. M. Ngazy State University of Zanzibar Planning Section P. O. Box 146 ZANZIBAR –TANZANIA E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Informal meeting for Urban Environmental accounting Trieste, Italy 22nd – 24th April 2004 ABSTRACT This paper gives results of the preliminary socio-economic survey conducted in two coastal villages of Zanzibar where coastal aquaculture was still on experimental stage to look for possibilities and potentials for creating a means to supplement the declining fish catch from the wild and poverty reduction in coastal villages of Mungoni (ZALA Park) and Makoba. The sites were previously used for burying coconut husks for rope making and salt pans respectively. Specifically, the paper asses market condition for fish in villages and hotels looking at the local community fish requirements and their perception towards establishment of coastal aquaculture in Zanzibar. Finally it highlights the Cost Benefit Analysis of the ZALA Park fish pond project. Questionnaire survey was conducted to a random sample of 74 households in Makoba and Mungoni (ZALA Park) villages as well as to 15 hotels along the east coast of the Zanzibar island. Also, informal individual interviews with stake holders and observation was carried out during the same period. Preliminary findings revealed higher proportion for males than female household members suggesting more dependence on fishing activities. Majority of interviewees were optimistic about fish farming activities in Zanzibar. Market for cultivated species existed both in hotels and the households in the sense that villagers’ requirement for cultivated fish was estimated on average to be 21 kgs per household per month and hoteliers demand whole year round seemed to be quite considerable during high tourist seasons. Financial analysis for ZALA Park fish culturing indicate the project is viable at 12% discount rate. 2 1. Introduction Coastal aquaculture production is increasingly becoming popular in Zanzibar as a means of making the ends meet for the daily lives of the coastal communities who mostly depend on marine ecosystem for subsistence and income. The move came about after successful endeavor for seaweed culture that was commercially initiated in 1989, following not less than a decade of experiments that proved it to be transferable to local communities in Zanzibar. The aftermath of the seaweed farming was a significant improvement to household economies in respective villages and exportation of Seaweed. Most coastal aquaculture development has already taken place in Asia, Europe and South America whereas relatively modest production has been achieved in Africa (Ronnback et al 2002). Initiatives for small scale aquaculture on finfish and mollusk are progressing in Zanzibar but little has so far been made to identify the social, economic and environmental impact. Scientific experiments on aquaculture of some species of fish and mollusk are carried out on the sustainability and viability. Nevertheless, knowledge and awareness of the trade off between economic and environmental impacts as well as economic and social impact of such undertaking is a key information for the policy making bodies in Zanzibar and a guidance to the would be investors in coastal aquaculture activity in future. This paper presents results from a preliminary socio-economic survey in two fishing villages in Zanzibar where coastal aquaculture for fin fish is being experimented. Focus is on financial appraisal of the Zanzibar Land Animal (ZALA) Park fish pond at Mungoni and the socio-economic aspects for both Mungoni and Makoba village where Integrated Mariculture Pond System (IMPS) at Mafufuni. The paper consists of five main parts; the first and second part introduces and gives an overview on fish culturing initiatives in Zanzibar with the historical background of the two project sites and the expected socio- economic benefits with respect to establishment of aquaculture for fish. It also touches on the theoretical background of the Costs Benefit Analysis (CBA) of the ZALA Park aquaculture project paving a way to explore the opportunity costs of the sites. Third part provides sections on methodology used in the study that leaded to results on social and 3 economic analysis in the fourth part. The last part ends with conclusion and recommendations for further study. 2. Overview Fishing in Zanzibar however artisanal is an industry that makes a significant contribution to the national economy both in terms of income and employment generation in other supporting sectors. Also it is an important supplement for animal protein to majority of people in the islands of Zanzibar where meat from livestock is relatively more expensive. On the other hand, fisheries sector has been observed to give a significant support to the growing tourism industry in Zanzibar through its supply to hotels and recreational park areas. Increasing population and the use of destructive fishing gears among other factors have made the fish catch to decline overtime, hence increasing demand that is satisfied by the cost of unaffordable prices for delicious and highly demanded species. Moreover, fishermen have been observed to spend relatively more time in fishing and therefore reduced time for other economic activities and leisure that could improve their household’s welfare. Such problems called for several proposals for aquaculture to be undertaken in Zanzibar however still at a small scale. Main intention is to cover the gap of excess demand by having fish supply during off seasons, thus satisfying demand in households, hotels and elsewhere. Aquaculture though regarded as a lucrative endeavor in terms of income and supply of animal protein to majority of population worldwide. It involves investment of natural, financial, and time resource committed to produce financial gains that might be at the cost of the societal welfare. Ronnback et al (2002) underscore that aquaculture activities often utilize common property resource such as land, water and mangrove areas this contribute greatly to social equity. Consideration therefore, has to be given to the cost or negative externality that others are going to suffer by using mangrove land for other projects. Otherwise, a Pareto improvement in social welfare should be sought where some people are made better off by the project without making others worse (Georgiou et al 1997). In line with the above, survey have been conducted in the villages to assess local communities perceptions on Mangrove land use for coastal aquaculture for fish, 4 current fish marketing system and demand for targeted cultivated species in Zanzibar as well as the financial viability of culturing fish. 2.1 Historical Background The ZALA Park fishpond is a local community initiative located in Mungoni village 25 km away south west of Zanzibar town. The Pond is owned by a group of five people who manage an educational park for the local community and tourists. A wall with a gate is constructed on a mangrove that was excavated to allow control of tidal fluctuations due to its access to the sea. Approximately the 10002 m pond that has been enclosed by a wall should be capable of producing 1000 kg of mullets (Mkizi) per year that would be harvested during scarcity periods when there is less catch from the wild or during high tourist season when demand for fish rise. The ZALA Park is Zoological for some specimens of local animals that are native to Zanzibar islands and works to promote an ecological preservation, environmental education to students who visits the park for environmental education and researchers. Tentative plan for the group is to construct restaurant in the Park area that could carter for tourists, students and local people visiting the area. The restaurant will form a forward linkage by having its supply from the fish pond and in turn will provide catering services to visitors who prefer to spend some time in the park. On the other hand the fish pond is getting its supply of fingerlings from the sea. The fish pond area was formerly used by a group of twenty female villagers who individually used the area to process coconut husks for rope making. The activity that involves clearing the mangrove roots to get an area for burying the husks that are let to rot under ground (in vyao1) for nine months before they are exhumed for further processing. The pond area has been used for processing coconut husk since time immemorial, the rights to undertake the activity in the area has been passed over from one generation to another. The activity is indigenous supplementing women’s meager income and form one of the few activities that women can perform in the village to generate some income. In principle, mangrove area is communally owned however the 1 A ditch used to bury coconut husks for processing 5 vyao for coconut husk are owned privately mainly because of individual efforts and time allocated in preparation and the husk are continuously being replaced after every maturity period. Conversely, the Makoba ponds are IMPS owned by the local government and were formerly used for salt production which later became unprofitable and therefore abandoned. After a very long idle period the pans were converted to integrated fish farming ponds a technique that was simulated from Israel and adapted to local conditions in Zanzibar. Basically decision to establish fish cultivation came about as a measure to utilize the area productively and to demonstrate prototype IMPS within the environmental, socio-economic and technological conditions that prevails in Zanzibar and to enhance research capabilities for development of coastal aquaculture.