Maziwe Island is one of the oldest Marine Reserves in Tanzania and can be found about 15 nautical miles off the coast of Pangani. Established in 1981, it was given the status of a Reserve to prevent cutting the trees of the island as well as taking care of the important reef system around.. A lack of protection, the trees still fell for firewood, until just a few were left and those got swept away by the starting sea erosion. Around 1983 the last tree was seen on Maziwe and what is left today, is a sun-kissed sand island, exposed during low tide. A marine reserve/park is an area of ocean and shore that is protected. Inside it, people cannot take living things, or disturb the habitat of marine animals, or non-living marine resources. Dredging, dumping or discharging any matter or building structures is also prohibited.
Maziwe Island is now a Tanzanian Marine National Park which is assisted by two organizations to preserve the island for the turtles and other marine life. Sea Sense, a community based NGO, is one of them and the other is Friends of Maziwe. This has been a long term goal for Friends of Maziwe and sadly enough illegal fishing is still happening. The governments as well as Fisheries Department in Pangani have shown no interest in finding a conclusion or do they offer any help to make Maziwe Marine Reserve a protected area. Friends of Maziwe is keeping track of all illegal activities from dynamite fishing and turtle killings and works on different ways to protect Maziwe.
Maziwe Island Marine Reserve has a diversity of nearly 400 species of fish, 35 genera of hard and soft corals, sponges and algae as well as shoreline birds have been identified. Just recently a group of Bird Experts from Denmark counted 35 – 38,000 Terns roosting or passing Maziwe and also spotted the first Black Tern in Tanzania. Still a lot of research needs to be done on our Marine Parks & Reserves to understand the importance of the ecological system above and under water.
Marine reserves aim to save some un-spoilt areas for present and future generations in a state that will not worsen over time. They are like time capsules, where time stands still. However, many marine reserves in Tanzania have failed compared to our neighbor Kenya which Marine Reserves and Parks are managed under Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).With the best Marine Parks and Reserves, the Kenyan Coastline is a paradise of palm fringed beaches and the warm inviting waters of the Indian Ocean. Extensive Coral reef systems with spectacular sea life make for world class diving and snorkeling. It is this numerous diversity within a single country that has established Kenya’s name as the home of the safari for large number of tourists.
With over 19 Marine Parks & Reserves, the Tanzania government under its Fisheries Department does not have enough resources to patrol such a long coastline and consequently the harvesting of marine products has been largely uncontrolled. Both local fisherman and the deep sea trawlers of other nations have done immense damage and harvested way above their stock. It has been rumored that a fishing vessel from a far eastern nation was in early 2009 caught fishing in the Tanzania economic fishery zone and the vessel impounded. Without drastic punishment the harvest from the sea is going to be considerably curtailed in the not so distant future.
In the last thirty years, rapid expansion in the recreation and tourism industry has occurred. The main attractions for this new industry include the warm coastal climate slightly mellowed by a cool sea breeze, the beautiful coastal scenery and foremost, the beautiful and clean sandy beaches. All the facilities that support the new expansion in the tourism industry are therefore located next or adjacent to beach environments. In some areas, such as the coastal strip around Pangani and Dar Es Salaam Marine Reserve system, the rapid development of tourism has put pressure on the sustainable use of coastal resources such as the coral reef. Demand for seafood, shells and coral souvenirs has risen sharply as local supplies have become depleted. The pressure on the coastal ecosystem extends further and further from the resorts, spreading the impact.
The continuous destruction of mangroves for logging and construction purposes in Pangani will result in the loss of some of the worlds most diverse ecosystems. As a side effect, this has greatly increased shoreline hazards and beach erosion rates. The greatest benefit of mangroves is their ability to reduce storm surge. This benefit is long-term and requires no maintenance. Mangroves are lost because of clearing for development, logging, and shrimp farming. Coral reefs are lost by sedimentation from agriculture on the upland, un-sustainable tourism practices, bad fishing techniques that kill corals and other natural and global warming-related causes.
To save the sea is quite different from saving wildlife on land. The sea is such a unique place, so strange, and most of it has been left relatively undisturbed. Marine parks & reserves are one of the ways to reduce threats to the sea. To create a marine park & reserve should be easy, but our ignorance of the sea and how to protect it, has caused some failures from which we should learn. Learn to do the right things for the right reasons. Unfortunately the science of marine conservation in Tanzania is replete with untested myths and fallacies that prevent us from finding the right solutions. With all the discussion and research on marine parks and reserves, there is still no method for assessing the health of an area, and whether it is getting better or worse. Worse still, many researchers are so single-mindedly focused or so inexperienced, that they are unable to see degradation. This is not entirely surprising, since one has to learn to see what is no longer there. Degradation does not readily show in species lists, fish counts and fish catches. Other methods are needed. As a result, Tanzania conservation managers are often unaware that their marine parks & reserves are or have become unsustainable. One thing is certain: if a reserve gets worse over time, it is not sustainable.