ZANZIBAR Minister of Agriculture Natural Resources Livestock and Fisheries, Hamad Rashid Mohamed.
The initiative 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.
In a message read on his behalf at the
launch, Hamad Rashid Mohamed, Minister of Agriculture Natural Resources
Livestock and Fisheries, said the investment reflected the strong
partnership between the Government, KOICA and FAO.
“Today’s event clearly shows how our
partnership has grown stronger over the last years and how mariculture
sector development has become an increasingly important policy objective
of this government,” said Mohamed.
The minister added that small-scale
farming households were responsible for almost entire aquaculture
production in the island, thus providing the local population with an
affordable source of protein.
This, he said, was a clear indicator of
the crucial role small-scale aquaculture played and its potential to
scale up. He also noted that while it created jobs for farmers - thereby
increasing income - it also utilised land and water resources more
rationally.
The immediate objective of the project
is to support the construction and operation of a marine multi-species
hatchery in Zanzibar 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.
Mr 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.
Speaking at the same occasion, Patrick
Otto, the acting FAO Representative in Tanzania, noted that the project
was designed in a way that guaranteed sustainability.
“Given the need for an eventual uptake
of aquaculture by more entrepreneurs and for the hatchery to be driven
by the needs of industry and key stakeholders, the project has
incorporated an exit strategy that will ensure sustainability,” said
Otto.
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 underlined the need for the project
to engage continuously with various stakeholders including; the Chamber
of Commerce (ZNCCIA) and Zanzibar Investment Authority (ZIPA), which are
both closely linked to the private sector, investors and farmers in
communities.
He, however, stressed that the
small-scale farmers, entrepreneurs, and traders, indeed 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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