The Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Philip Mpango, has said Tanzania is committed to ensuring the sustainable management of the Pemba Strait and the marine ecology in general.
The Vice President said this while opening a side event on “Building a Resilient Blue Economy in the Pemba Strait: Cooperative Management of Marine Resources for Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Change” held on the sidelines of the United Nations Oceans Summit being held in Nice, France.
He said the country’s commitment is to ensure that the blue economy becomes a model of inclusive growth, environmental stewardship and long-term resilience.
He stressed the importance of working together to take urgent steps to protect the ocean for the benefit of present and future generations.
The Vice President said Tanzania is taking various steps to address the threats to the marine ecology to ensure that the Pemba Strait grows resilient and environmentally sustainable in the long term.
He said Tanzania is promoting international cooperation by recognizing that marine conservation is a collaborative effort.
He said that through partnerships with financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, research organizations and the private sector, it has helped in promoting the use of science, access to finance and innovation to increase positive results and build local capacity.
He mentioned that these measures include strengthening marine conservation through strong management and expansion of marine protected areas (MPAs), and said that two new conservation areas on Pemba Island are in the final stages of being declared, thus strengthening the country’s commitment to protecting the unique marine heritage.
He said Tanzania is ensuring community participation in marine conservation for the development of the blue economy which involves working together to ensure that marine and coastal development efforts are inclusive, equitable and sustainable.
Also supporting alternative livelihoods, strengthening value chains for small-scale fishers and opening up opportunities for prosperity for coastal communities in parallel with preserving the ecosystem.
The Pemba Strait is an area located between Tanga Region and Pemba Island, Zanzibar. The area is an important ecologically important area for the marine sector. It includes coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove ecosystems that support the country’s fisheries sector, support coastal communities and serve as a buffer against the increasing impacts of climate change.
The side event, which aimed to showcase Tanzania’s achievements in integrated community-led ocean management, brought together various marine and environmental stakeholders from around the world.
