Based on the information gained during preliminary discussions in Tanzania, and taking into account the time frame of the mission, three areas were selected (see Map 1) in order to obtain more detailed information. Selection was based on three different scenarios currently existing in Tanzania and were as follows:
An area where seaweed cultivation is currently taking place on a commercial scale - the east coast of Zanzibar;
An area where potential exists for development of seaweed harvesting and cultivation - Tanga region;
An area where harvesting of wild stocks has been taking place - Mafia Island.
MAP 1: Areas of “Seaweed belt” in Tanzania visited by ALCOM mission
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The main economic activities in this area are small-scale fishing and subsistence agriculture. Income generating opportunities are limited. Road access is poor, so markets for fresh fish are limited to Zanzibar town. There is also a small tourist industry, although the direct economic benefits to the area from this industry are confined to sales of fresh fish and seashells.
As already mentioned in Section 5, two companies have started seaweed cultivation in Zanzibar, although the approaches adopted by each company are different. There is also a very limited amount of seaweed collection taking place.
Zanea Seaweeds Ltd. at Jambiani and Pongwe
Zanea Seaweeds Ltd. is based at Jambiani, with another collection station further north at Pongwe. Test sites are located near Chawkwa, Ras Michmavi and Uroa. The company began seaweed farming in 1989. Four Filipino seaweed experts were recruited to identify test sites, initiate activities and provide extension and quality control.
Initial attempts to cultivate seedlings of E. striatum taken from local sources proved unsuccessful, as the plants were prone to epiphytes. Cultivation was abandoned and instead, trials were made with a few seedlings of E.spinosum brought from the Philippines. Results were very positive, producing healthy and fast growing plants. A seed bank was thus developed. Currently, the company has a 1.4 hectare seed bank at Jambiani.
The company promotes the off bottom method of culture and provides interested farmers with coir rope and seedlings of E. spinosum. Wooden stakes are collected by the farmers from the bush. The company employs 38 women in the village to produce the coir rope paying them at a piece rate. However, there are plans to replace coir rope with nylon monoline which is more durable but more expensive. This would be available to farmers on credit.
When the company first introduced seaweed farming to the communities, only women took it up, because economic activities in the intertidal zone, such as harvesting of shells, seaweed and octopi was traditionally a female activity. Later, when it was realised that the returns were high, men also started to take up seaweed farming.
By July 1990, an estimated 1000 farmers at Jambiani have plots of varying sizes covering a total area of 35 hectares, equivalent to 2.45 million plants (an estimated 70,000 plants/ hectare). At the smaller village of Pongwe, 85 farmers cultivate an area covering approximately 9 hectares. Growth rates are significantly higher than that obtained in the Philippines with 40 gramme seedlings reaching 600 grammes after 3 weeks compared to 6 weeks in the Philippines. At Pongwe, during most of the year, plants are harvested every 6 weeks when they reach 1500 grammes. However, during windy weather such as when the northwest monsoon occurs during October-March, harvesting occurs every 3 weeks so that the risk of plants being torn off are reduced.
In both areas, cultivated seaweed is also susceptible to the seasonal presence of rabbit fish although this was reported not to be a significant problem.
Plants are harvested during low tide and sun-dried for 3 days (3–4 days during the rainy season) on coconut palm leaves. Current production levels of dried product are approximately 120 tonnes per month. The dried product has a 30 % moisture content and is sold to the company at its reception station in Pongwe and Jambiani. The current price is 45 Tanzanian shillings/kilo. The seaweed is then placed in 60 kg polypropylene bags and transported to Zanzibar town by truck for onward shipment (usually via Dar-es-Salaam) to a carrageenan processing factory in Denmark. The current export price obtained is US $ 450 per tonne.
Despite initial scepticism by villagers, the success and acceptability of seaweed farming is clearly demonstrated by the increasing numbers of people wishing to become involved. Currently, the seedlings produced by the company are not sufficient to satisfy demand and it was reported that a small trade in seedlings amongst farmers has started, with prices averaging 100 Tanzanian shillings/plant. Compared to other activities, earnings are high but the demand on labour time is small; limited to low tides when the plots are clean and plants are planted or harvested. Tying of plants is usually done at home although once nylon monoline is introduced, this will have to be undertaken at low tide. In discussions with women villagers, it was found that the low labour requirements make the activity particularly attractive.
The company intends to expand its' activities to other areas on the east coast of Zanzibar and has obtained permits to do so from the Department of Fisheries in Zanzibar. It has also recently established 5 test planting sites to determine the suitability of seaweed farming in the selected area. However, if the success of farming activities continues, it is likely that conflicts may arise over the allocation of sites, and the dwindling number of sites available to newcomers.
Zanzibar Agro-Seaweed Company Ltd. at Page
Zanzibar Agro-Seaweed Company Ltd. is a subsidiary of the seaweed exporter, International Shellcraft Ltd. The company is based at Page and has adopted a different approach to seaweed farming than that of Zanea Seaweeds Ltd. The company concentrates on the establishment of a commercial seaweed farm owned and operated by the company and, as a secondary activity, encourages cultivation of individual plots by the local community. The company began it's operations in August 1989 using locally obtained E. striatum. Cultivation of this species was not successful as the plants were attacked by epiphytes and growth rates were poor. In February 1990, a representative from a importing company provided E. spinosum brought from Singapore, which proved to be successful. The company is currently farming 1.5 hectares, including their seed bank, and is experiencing similar growth and production rates as Zanea Seaweeds Ltd.
Partly through the experiences of villagers at Jambiani and some extension by the company, approximately 70 villagers, most of them women and children, expressed interest and were encouraged to take up seaweed farming. They were provided with 60 seedlings and nylon monoline. There are now 2 hectares cultivated by villagers, who receive 45 Tanzanian shillings/kilo of dried product. The product is then bagged and exported to Singapore for re-export to processing factories. The importing company, FMC Corporation, has supplied a number of inputs to the company including bales of polyurethane line and has encouraged the company to experiment with the raft or floating method of cultivation. Up to July 1990, the company has exported 20 tonnes of dried seaweed for an average price of between US $ 400 to $450 per tonne.
The company has been granted permits from the Government of Zanzibar to farm 50 hectares at Page, Fundo Island and Dembani. However, they are in the process of concluding a revised agreement which gives them the right to farm an area, rather than a specific number of hectares.
Harvesting of Wild Stocks
There was very limited activity in the areas visited. E. striatum is collected when it is washed ashore during the northwest monsoons, dried and sold to Zanea Seaweeds. E. spinosum, usually torn off from cultivated plots is also collected and sold dried. Most collectors are young boys.
The region lies north of Dar-es-Salaam close to the Kenyan border. The capital is Tanga, the second largest port in Tanzania. The main economic activity in the area is commercial agriculture, particularly sisal farming. Along the coast, small scale fishing and agriculture is practised but dynamite fishing has become a serious problem in the area, causing critical damage to the coral reef ecosystems. Unofficial trade with Kenya is also an important economic activity. Proposals have been put forward to declare a marine park around the coral reefs in an attempt to protect the reefs from further damage as well as to encourage tourism.
In the past, there have been sporadic attempts by some businessmen to export seaweed collected by villagers. Villages where this was thought to have taken place were visited and included Kigombe, Tongoni, Machuri, Kwale, Boma and Moa. At Kigombe and Boma, fisheries assistants and villagers reported that there had been some harvesting of wild seaweed which had been washed ashore when a businessman had paid for it. However, this activity was abandoned soon after it started. At all villages, despite having doubts as to what it could be used for, villagers said they would harvest seaweed if they knew a buyer would collect it.
The area had already been identified in previous studies by the University of Dar-es-Salaam as a potential site for seaweed culture and as mentioned in Section 4, a pilot site was established in the early 1980's at Kigombe. It was operational for a few months only. The current village chairman was sent to the Philippines on a study tour and was employed to manage the site. According to the chairman, the site was abandoned because funds ran out, although other reports suggest that the site was also not suitable. Provided a buyer could be found, he thought that seaweed farming could be economic in the area except during the northeast monsoon when the sea becomes too rough. Seasonally, rabbit fish may also be a problem.
At Kibo Saltworks near the village of Moa, a test site for cultivation of E. striatum was initiated in 1989, and the above-mentioned chairman of Kigombe village was hired to undertake the planting. The off-bottom method was chosen and the first feeder pond with a constant flow of fresh seawater was selected for the test area. However it was discovered that the salinity of the pond was too high. In the beginning of 1990, at the suggestion of a representative from the seaweed importers, FMC Corporation visiting from Singapore and another test site was selected in the creek feeding the salt pans. The floating raft method of cultivation was tried as the bottom of the creek was not suitable for the off-bottom method. The floating raft method is still in it's experimental stage, but the manager of the saltworks indicated that the water in the creek is too muddy because it is surrounded by mangroves which are inhibiting the growth of the seaweed. He also indicated that they would continue to experiment with seaweed culture but noted that there was a lack of information in Tanzania on such practices.
The main economic activities on Mafia Island are small scale fishing, coconut cultivation and subsistence farming.
The island has been associated with the collection of wild seaweed since the early 1950's. Visits were made to areas where harvesting of wild seaweed was currently taking place, Mirambani on the main island and the smaller islands of Joani and Jibondo. Currently, there is only one regular buyer of dried seaweed, International Shellcraft Ltd. who employs one agent, based near Mirambani, to collect seaweed. The main species harvested is E. striatum and small quantities of E. spinosum, when it is washed ashore. Collection is undertaken by women and some children. Until recently, the price paid was 5–6 Tanzanian shillings/kilo but this has now been increased to 13 Tanzanian shillings/kilo. Collectors complained that the price was too low, and fishermen said that it was for this reason that men were not involved in collection.
The collected seaweed is put into 40kg hessian sacks and loaded onto a chartered vessel which takes it to Dar-es-Salaam. On average, the company collects 16 tonnes every three months. The dried seaweed is of low quality with a high moisture content (60%) and a high species mixture containing high amounts of debris. This appears to indicate that buyers have devoted little time to trying to improve the quality through better extension on drying and cleaning or by paying higher prices for a better quality product.
Once the dried seaweed reaches Dar-es-Salaam, International Shellcraft dry the crop until the moisture content is around 20%, wash the product in hydrogen peroxide and pack it in bags. They are planning to acquire a baling machine, which will improve packing.
Currently, there is no seaweed cultivation on Mafia, but International Shellcraft plan to expand their activities in Zanzibar to Mafia, and have obtained permits and identified sites on Jibondo Island to initiate their activities. They plan to adopt a more participatory approach to cultivation, by providing inputs to prospective farmers, improving cleaning and drying techniques and acting as a buyer of dried seaweed rather than cultivating areas themselves. The introduction of seaweed farming is likely to be more easily acceptable as communities are already familiar with the concept of seaweed harvesting and methods of handling and drying.
