Touring the newly inaugurated hatchery

Zanzibar and Tanzania together with the larger East African region stand to benefit from the construction of Zanzibar semi-commercial marine hatchery that was launched on April 20.

The Second Vice President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Amb. Seif Ali Iddi and the President of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Ms. Lee Mi-Kyung presided over the launching ceremony.

Zanzibar Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock and Fisheries, Rashid Ali Juma; FAO Representative to the United Republic of Tanzania, Fred Kafeero; and FAO Director of Fisheries (global), Dr. Manuel Barange were among other high profile guests who participated in the launch.

A boost to national and regional fisheries

“The completion of the construction of this facility will go miles away in supporting our fishing industry in the country by producing fish fingerings at reasonable costs for our local and regional markets,” Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi said adding that the hatchery will also boost the economy by generating revenue and create employment most especially among youth and women and therefore reduce poverty. 

On her part, Ms. Lee Mi-Kyung said that KOICA has been supporting Zanzibar's agriculture and fisheries sectors development with the aim to achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal on food security and improved nutrition through promotion of sustainable agriculture.

“I expect that the development of the fisheries sector of Zanzibar will contribute to strengthening food security, job creation and social and economic development of the country. We know that this hatchery will provide professional technical training on aquaculture and cultivation technology,” she said adding: “We hope that this hatchery will be used as a basis for nurturing fisheries technology and will become a symbol of partnership between Korea and Tanzania.”

The Development of the Aquaculture Sector in Zanzibar project dubbed ‘Korea-Zanzibar Marine Hatchery Centre’ is implemented through the technical support by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with financial support from KOICA in collaboration with the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government.

An engine to aquaculture development

FAO’s Director of Fisheries, Dr. Manuel Barange noted that the development of this mariculture hatchery followed a long and detailed process that includes the formulation of an Aquaculture Development Strategy and Plan, and the implementation of several FAO technical cooperation projects in the seaweed sector. “It is a major step in making aquaculture an engine for the economy of Zanzibar, for the support of livelihoods and for women’s empowerment efforts,” he said.

Based at the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) in Unguja the multi-species mariculture project is expected to boost Zanzibar and East Africa’s blue economy boosting the production of a variety of marine species including juveniles of milkfish, sea cucumber and mud crabs, among others. The plan is to produce ten (10) million milkfish fingerlings, one (1) million sea cucumber juveniles and one (1) million crablets per year as from 2020.