"Special Supplement - MNAZI BAY"
Editorial

The General Management Plan for the Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park (MBREMP) has been compiled, Submitted and finally approved by the Board of Trustees of Marine Parks and Reserves (MPR). The plan, which is a requirement of Act no 29 of Marine Parks and Reserves, 1994 puts into place a road map upon which conservation policies of the strategically located park would be undertaken in the next five years.

The park, the second in the country after Mafia Island Marine Park, was gazetted in 2000, with 
a unique feature of having over 30 per cent of its total area, being a dry land. Being a new 
entity, a lot of research had to be undertaken to ascertain the nature and amount of resources 
in the parks, factors impacting on the resources, and the challenge of managing it.

The inclusion of a dry land (of about 30% of the total area) and 11 villages with over 30,000 
people getting their livelihood on marine resources posed a great management challenge. Indeed 
a way had to be found to reconcile the conflict between conservation and taking care of the 
well being of the peoples found in the park. Thus the need for a participatory developed GMP 
which would ensure that the park is delineated into different user zones. 

Many activities were undertaken by various stakeholders in the overall research, 
consultations, meetings and contribution of ideas and resources. The villagers take a lot of 
commendation for willingly volunteering information and participating in meetings that enabled 
the plan to be a reality. They provided invaluable information and knowledge on the type, 
location and behavioural pattern of the resources in the park. 

The villagers also volunteered to participate in conservation committees through which they 
are assuming advisory roles to advise the MBREMP on matters of conservation. Villagers also 
grouped themselves into Village Environment Committees to participate in Environmental 
conservation and also act as support force to enforcement measures by the park officials on no 
take zones. We in the marine park pledge to ensure that such cooperation between the villagers 
and us is sustained. 

The preparation of the plan received support from the United Nations Development Planning 
(UNDP/GEF) and the government of France through Facilitation of funds and technical support. 
We thank IUCN for the support to facilitate the conservation of marine resources in Mnazi bay 
Park for the benefit of the present and future generation.

The GMP has come out with a zoning plan which will ensure sustainable utilisation of the 
resources in the park. We in the marine parks are happy to have come out with a plan, thanks 
to the cooperation we enjoyed from stakeholders when making the plan. We pledge continued 
cooperation with all stakeholders in conservation

The immediate challenge we are now facing is to mass all our effort to make all that is on the 
paper a reality. We know it is a daunting but an unavoidable challenge we have to face head 
on.

MBREMP enters war on poverty

The Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary marine Park (MBREMP) has finalised plans to launch alternative livelihood activities for villagers living within the borders of the park to cut down over dependence on marine resources for their livelihood. 

The MBREMP Warden in Charge Mr Milali Machumu told members of the Board of Trustees of Marine 
Park and Reserves on their recent visit to the park that, activities included in the MBREMP 
management plan for the villagers include bee keeping, vegetable farming, fish pond farming 
and extension of small loans for fishing communities to buy sustainable fishing gear. .

The Board members, who were in the park to inspect various conservation activities, were also 
told by Mr Milali that, the park was working on a scheme that would establish saving and 
credit cooperative societies to enable residents acquire some capital for small scale business 
enterprises.

MBREMP was gazetted the second marine park in the country in 2000 coming after Mafia Island 
Marine Park which took off in 1995.The leader of the board entourage Dr. Norbeti Kayombo 
commended workers of the park for the great effort they have placed in the activities of 
MBREMP and urged them to keep up the spirit. 

He called for an all inclusive permanent awareness campaign to all stakeholders on the 
importance of conservation and why the area. He stressed that the campaign be directed to 
villagers resident in the park on the importance of conserving and sustainable using marine 
resources. 

The manager of Marine Parks and Reserves Tanzania Mr Chikambi Rumisha assured MBREMP workers that the GMP of the park would be forwarded to the Board of Trustees for approval before 
sending it to the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism for consent. 

The visiting board members were: Dr Norbert Kayombo, Ms Hawa Kimolo, Mr Abdulkarim Shah 
(Mafia MP), Mr Colangelo Nicola and Mr Chikambi Rumisha,the Manager of Marine Parks.

Gas Company pledges cleaner production in MBREMP
By Robert Katikiro

Artumus Group Inc, which has gas exploration and drilling concession in areas in and around Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park (MBREMP) has pledged to undertake its activities in a cleaner way that would not disturb the ecology of the park. 

The pledge was made by the management of the company to a contingent of the members of the 
Board of Trust of Marine Parks and Reserves when they visited the camp site the concessionary 
company at Ruvula. The members also visited the site where the gas reserve has been struck. 
Gas exploitation is expected to begin later this year. 

The visiting board members toured several sites where the company is exploring for gas, and 
witnessed measures undertaken by the company to collect pollutants so that they do not 
contaminate the sea. 
The company assured the board that, various efforts were being undertaken to ensure that some 
proceeds from the sale of gas would be given to villages in and around the park to alleviate 
their economic well being. The company also promised to procure vegetable seeds to issue them 
freely to villagers as a way of economic back up. 

Artumas Group also assured the board that it will continue to hire local manpower as a way of 
providing employment to villagers and pledged continued cooperation with the park and 
villagers as a way forward to enhance development. 

Artumas Group Inc won concession to explore and exploit gas in the Bay of Mnazi after 
fulfilling all
Conditions outlined under section 13 (1) of Act no 29 of Marine Parks and Reserves, 1994. 
Under the provision of that law, the activities of the company must be done by strictly 
observing that they would not cause effect to the environment and the biodiversity in the 
area. 

MBREMP is one of the fast rising tourist attractions in the country. With the gradual 
construction of the Unity Bridge across the Ruvuma, linking Tanzania and Mozambique, the park 
would be in an enviable position because of the great tourist potential from Southern Africa.

The park also provides a wide range of biodiversity which poses a great challenge to 
researchers. It is also home to endangered species such as dugong and turtles. 

Honorary Rangers take on enforcement patrols 
By Benson Chiwinga.

The MBREMP has enlisted the support of voluntary groups from villagers within the park to fight unsustainable fishing, poaching and environmental degradation. These groups (eight people), otherwise known as Honorary Rangers, completed a course on conservation activities from Likuyu Sekamaganga Folk Development College, Ruvuma Region.

The course which lasted for one month was attended by 8 youths from villages inside and 
outside the park. The training was tailored to impart the rangers with up to date skills on 
conservation and capacity building so as to enable them teach their fellow villagers 
conservation skills, environmental consciousness and sustainable utilisation of natural 
resources.

The first contingent of the Honorary Rangers assumed their responsibilities in Likokoto 
village immediately on their return from the course. They began patrols to curb the rising 
spate of illegal harvesting of mangrove trees.

They will also raise awareness among their folk on the need to conserve the endangered turtle 
by desisting to kill it or tamper with its nests. 

The Honorary Rangers pledged to be eyes and ears of marine authorities in the effort to 
enforce no take policies in zones demarcated entirely for conservation. They will also track 
down illegal fishers and poachers by cooperating with state organs to bring the suspects 
before the law.