Mnazi Bay Park: A sanctuary of global siginificance

Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park set up in 2000 as Tanzania’s second marine park is a multi-purpose marine protected area with globally significant marine biodiversity values.
The Park covers a total land and sea area of 650 square kilometres, encompassing 11 villages with over 20,000 inhabitants. The park which has 40 per cent of its total area on land is a unique experiment that aims at integrating marine conservation with poverty elimination to the population living within its boundaries. 

The park which used the first five years of its existence to complete intensive studies and tactical
moves necessary for take off, received some 1.5million US dollar fund to cover the 4.5 years of its
initial existence from the French Government through GEF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The IUCN East Africa Office offered technical support to set up the park.

During the initial five years, several biological and sociological surveys were undertaken and all
stakeholders were consulted before working on a general management plan of the park which is now ready for execution after winning endorsement from the government. Also key staff and necessary facilities have been set in place are in place to enable Marine Park and Reserves Tanzania to take over the running of the park from IUCN..

The ten-yea management plan which takes off this financial year, focuses on the sustainable use of
marine resources by communities within the park and in the vicinity of the Park and advance biodiversity conservation by zoning the park into no take zones and user areas to ensure sustainable harvesting.

Mr Melali Machumu, the Warden in charge of Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Esturay Marine Park, said that the planning period, which lasted for five years, was now over adding that, a lot of experience has been learnt.
“People are enthusiastic about the park and have cooperated in both ideas and action to prepare the plan and end the menace of dynamiting the resources.”

The warden praised the communities in the 11 villages within the park for their cooperation in passing out information that enabled researchers and planners to identify resources within the park.

“We have voluntary groups which monitor turtles to identify where they nest, protect the nests and assist young turtles to return to the sea. These groups are based in Msimbati, and we have facilitated them with bicycles for transport,” he said.

Mr Machumu further said that the park has established village environmental committees in all 11 villages and which besides monitoring resources they also voluntarily take part in enforcement and resource protection. 

Mrs Bimkubwa Salum and Mr Mohammed Mkuti who are honorary rangers engaged in turtle conservation project along Msimbati coastline, said that they had been on the project for the last two years. The monitor turtle nestling by receiving reports from fishermen and then going to the nestling centres, where they ensure that eggs are placed in areas that would not be reached by water. Sea water damages turtle eggs. “On many occasions we travel by night to make these rescues,” Bimkubwa said. 

The cooperation of the communities with marine park authorities is reflected by the voluntary activities of the communities in Ngonji village, Madimba ward, Mtwara rural district who volunteered in the last three years to reforest mangroves. The villagers have replanted areas formerly used as salt pans. The areas now replanted include Mpalang’ang’a, Jigongolo and Mabata. The communities plan to extend the activitiy to Mabata coastline. 

Mangroves besides providing fuel to the local communities, they are also highly relied on for providing poles for house construction. On the biodiversity side, they provide good nestling zones
for fish breeding. 

The greatest challenge however facing Mnazi Bay Marine Park is the debilitating poverty facing the residents within its boundaries. The General Management Plan for the Park outlines ways through which the park would contribute to poverty reduction in Mtwara region.
Poverty reduction initiatives address tourism promotion, Fisheries development, Livestock and
agriculture.

The chairman of the Mnazi Bay Ruvuma Estuary marine Park, who is also Ruvuma Region Administrative Secretary (RAS) Alhaj Yahya Mbilla, said the park would spur development for Mtwara. Besides ensuring that the sea and coastline remains pristine, fish would multiply and thus increase fish landing and the development of the fisheries industry and tourism, he added. 

He said the marine park project is inclusive in the Mtwara corridor development adding that, regional authorities were encouraging investors to build hotels to tap opportunities offered by the park and more so by the envisaged unity bridge to be constructed across the Ruvuma river at Mmtambaswala, Nachingwea, linking Tanzania with Mozambique.

Alhaj Mbilla further said that the region has already allocated a building which would be used as an
investment centre in Mtwara adding that, a ferry was now operational linking Tanzania with Mozambique, operating from Kalambo port across the Ruvuma estuary to Mozambique. 

This route is fast overtaking the traditional Cape to Cairo highway which cuts across Tanzania at Tunduma, Mbeya region and exiting at Namanga boarder post in Arusha region. People are now driving from southern Africa to Tanzania across the Ruvuma. The pontoon is the property of the government of Tanzania, he said.

The ferry which plies the waters of the Ruvuma estuary, which is part of the park, offers tourists
the opportunity to see hippopotamus play in the Ruvuma waters. Tourists also get a glimpse of the rich evergreen scenery provided by the mangrove forests magnificently marking where the waters of the Indian Ocean merges with those of the Ruvuma river. It is a captivating scenic.

The recent rehabilitation of historical sites of Mikindani and the rehabilitated Boma Hotel in
Mikindani, is an indication that tourism is picking up fast in Mtwara.

The contagious set up of the Mnazi BayMarine Park with terrestrial wildlife parks of Selous and Lukwika - Lumesule game reserves is plus to the emerging park.
To tour operators it offers an added new tourist itinerary package for the growing national Southern
tourism circuit. 

So far two investors have been attracted to the Marine Park area they include Ten degrees South a British owned company and Ruvula Sea Safaris and Tours owned by a Belgian. Other tourist Agents who brings tourist to the marine park are, the Black or White Ltd (Finland) managed by the Finish MLK Investment Corporation LTD and Mtwara Boma Hotel managed by Trade Aid of Britain.

Intra trade interactions and communication shall be elevated because of Southern circuit tourism
development and proximity with Neighbouring Mozambique.

The availability of huge gas deposits inside the park has now allayed fears of chronic energy problems of Mtwara.