Page 7 - Tanzania Report

local communities. It is estimated that over 150,000 people in Tanzania earn their living directly
from mangrove resources in terms of valuable timber which is used for boat building, fuelwood for
processing of fish, wood for building poles, timber for boat construction. Non -timber goods obtained
from the mangrove forests include bees, food, medicine, fruits among others. The low cost and
wide availability of plant based traditional medicine makes forest medicine more preferred by the
communities than westernized medicines which is costly and many a times hard to access. It has been Country Profile
estimated that about 70 per cent of Tanzanians communities use medicinal plants for curing illness The Republic of Tanzania
(MNRT 2001a).

Seagrass beds
Seagrass beds are found in close proximity to coral reefs and benefit from them in terms of energy
flows. Seagrass beds spread from high intertidal to shallow subtidal areas and they are expansive on
the western side of Pemba, Unguja and Mafia islands. They are also common in the coastal sheltered
areas of Kilwa, Rufiji, Ruvu and Moa. By the nature of their growth they act as breeding and nursery
grounds for a variety of species, they are also highly productive thus acting as a major food source
for herbivorous invertebrates, fish, dugong, and green turtles (F Julius and B Ian sustainable use).
The seagrass beds help in reduction of sedimentation of the coral reefs by trapping sediments, they
protect the beaches and shorelines.

Coral reefs
The corals of Tanzania are found in clear warm shallow waters. They cover two thirds of Tanzania
continental shelf and they have the potential to support over 500 species of marine ecosystem both
artisanal and commercial fisheries. Tanzania is reported to have over 150 species of scleractian
corals reefs (Hamilton and Brakel 1984).

The coral reefs provide a range of resources to both fisheries species and the coastal communities
(Bryceson 1981, Richmond 1998). These include; food and shelter for fish, crabs, lobsters; calcarcous
sediments that contribute to substrate and beach formation; act asnatural barriers that protect the
coast against storms and active waves; carbon sinks; cultural importance for coastal communities;
sites for tourism; education and research; provision of products for pharmaceutical and medicine
purposes.

Ecosystem management and conservation
The challenge

Mangrove forests are being overexploited and cleared for human consumption and activities such as
agriculture, mining and tourism. This is having negative impacts on the marine ecosystem.

The Situation
Over exploitation of mangrove forests
Over exploitation and clearing for other uses has led to a reduction of these important forests. The
majority of the forests have been cleared for agricultural production and other coastal forests have
been replaced with coconut, cashew and fruit tree plantations. For instance, mangrove forests are
being cleared for rice farms in Rufigi Delta (Semesi 1991), conversiojn of forests for aqua ponds
(prawn farming) and conversion for salt pans.

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