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1. INTRODUCTION

As part of ALCOM's ongoing activities in the SADCC region, the Government of Tanzania requested an investigative study to be carried out on the seaweed industry, examining both the harvesting of wild seaweed stocks and the commercial culture of seaweed.

A number of studies have been undertaken by the University of Dar-es-Salaam on the physiology, morphology, distribution and ecology of Tanzanian red, brown and green algae. It was therefore decided that the study should focus on the social and economic aspects of seaweed harvesting and culture and initiate investigations on the potential for future development of seaweed cultivation.

The following report describes the findings of this study, by providing an overview of the seaweed industry in Tanzania based on secondary sources, and the findings at the three areas selected for further study. These areas were:

The study was carried out between July 2 – 21 1990 by Ms Sevaly Sen, Consultant Fisheries Economist appointed by ALCOM and Mr R Lema, Senior Aquaculturist of the Fisheries Division, Ministry of Tourism, Natural Resources and Environment. Mr N Shunula, Botanist, from the Institute of Marine Sciences, joined the team in Zanzibar and Mafia Island.


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