If Mangroves Could Speak; Who Would’ve Listened?
If mangrove forests could speak they would have shamed conservationists for taking them for granted even though they have been sustaining us for all these years, love them or hate them but we all depend on mangroves and tidal wetlands. Believe me or not the local communities surrounding the mangrove forests are in a dilemma way because a lot has been written and said about conservation of mangrove forests but few is done or being done at the moment.
At the end of the day it won’t be stressing the climate activists only or a certain group of individuals who are bond to mangrove forests but it will jeopardize our entire life system. It’s not a secret anymore that the attention for miombo woodlands is so thick that you can cut it with a knife while mangrove forests receiving less publicity and this is not happening in East African countries only but its global issue. On the other hand, we can’t neglect efforts demonstrated by the government and other bodies bond to conservation, indeed their efforts are valued. However, the conservation policies, strategies and excursion plans do not seem to match with those of miombo forests or may be the actual work doesn’t mirror with the plan. Who is to be blamed?
I understand that in any working scope there is chain of 3 groups; Vision Owners, Translators and Implementers that must communicate very well, off course some do it knowingly (vice-versa is true). When we talk about the vision owners we’re talking about scientists belonging to the authorities literally the final custodians, they have a bigger picture on how things should look on the other hand translators carries stakeholders and a group of investors while the implementers consists of academicians, researchers, field technicians and laymen who are bond to conservation. In this case, the planned strategies must be communicated in a specified chain and always have been this way sometimes taken for granted. But if you ask me where the problem is, I will confidently tell you that we lack reliable translators who are passionate in changing the surface of East Africa. Yes, who’s willing to pioneer in the very first place?
We all understand that mangrove forests serve as; Nursery grounds, home to many species, food for multitudes, protect the salt and fresh water ecosystems, a stable coastline, shelter from the storm, resource for human and so many others. A lot can be done by the mangrove forests and number of things are still untapped in the media.
Making my head spin; I have seen, felt and experienced the mangrove forests being traditionally viewed as unproductive wetlands and this triggered my enthusiasm to write this particular article to change the narrative. You don’t have to take my words but in this current world the majority is focused to the measurable economic impacts that shift their concentration to the terrestrial conservation programs and allocating the worry to the minority who are bond to mangroves to calculate and come with a tangible solution. Mangroves serves as the powerhouses when it comes to carbon storage hence they play an indispensable influence on the climate. Studies presume mangrove can sequester four times more carbon than rainforests, In this case soil beneath the mangroves is likely to store enough carbon and acting as the major carbon sink if it stays put.
Speaking about tangible activities happening in Tanzania; I have hustled to bring you some facts about beekeeping activities in one of the mangrove forests in Tanzania, Yes I believe this one can shift you thinking.
According to Mr. Abasi Saidi Ntandu who’s District Forest Conservator in Kilwa district; Beekeeping in Mangrove forests has demonstrated a very a good income return comparing the honey quality with that miombo forests. In this sense if we extend the on-going efforts invested by local communities and Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) in mangrove forests at Marendego village in Somanga ward to the nearby villages surrounded by the mangroves it can trigger the motivation of conserving the mangrove forests. If we promote advanced beekeeping practices that have massive implication for mangrove forest conservation at the end of the day we will enhance an increase of income and food security at household and national level.
I’m very impressed by efforts of Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) and local communities in Kilwa district; the average production trend in three years; 2017/2018 was 154.6/22=7.02 Kg, 2018/2019 was 152.95/23=6.65 Kg and the current production per hive is 23.5/3=7.83 Kg of honey. All this is possible due to the abundance of Mangrove tree species like Avicennia Marina and Ryzophora Macronata that supports the beekeeping activities. I am very positive if the local communities are exposed to modern beekeeping practices, taught value addition and have reliable market they will surely increase an intense conservation of the mangrove forests said Mr. Abasi Saidi Ntandu-District Forest Conservator in Kilwa district.
See now? They’re a lot of opportunities in mangrove forests and a need of promoting its publicity to enhance a serious conservation strategy, off course we should not stop there let’s also put the local communities surrounding the mangrove forests in the front line. This why I join other conservationists who raise the issue of citizen-science, BIG TIME!!
On contrary; I still believe there must be a plan from our vision owners literally the final custodians, yes who turn our activism to reality. I have casually interviewed Prof. Eng. Dos Santos Silayo the Chief Executive Officer of Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) , off course I couldn’t help noticing that he has managed to say it all. In this particular elevator pitch with Prof. Eng. Dos Santos Silayo very essential information to be shared to the stakeholders has been addressed.
How is TFS pioneering to change the narrative of mangroves forests being viewed as unproductive wetlands?
First of all, mangrove as a marine wetland is highly productive in terms goods and services that are offered. Forest product includes; Firewood, poles and withes for construction, fence traps for fishing, timber for dhows and boats making, pulp and tannin. Non-wood resources; Medicine, fodder, salt making, apiculture (beekeeping), mariculture (fish farming, crab fattening and prawn farming), wildlife such as hippopotamus and crocodile farming. Ecological/ environmental services offered; Mangroves are breeding site for most species of fish in particular prawns (80% of prawn in Tanzania is fished from the Rufiji delta), coral reef and coastal protection against shore erosion and winds. Mangroves also provide services such as ecotourism and recreational. Working in mangrove environment, sometimes is very difficult and challenging, it requires substantial financial resources, trained personnel to work in marine environment, and sufficient and proper working gears (such speedboats) to curb illegal cutting of mangroves for overseas demands for charcoal, timber and poles and for clearing mangrove for subsistence farming. Due to these unsustainable human activities, harvesting of mangrove was temporarily banned to allow regeneration and time for developing participatory strategies to contain these challenges.
Now, TFS in the final stages of preparing participatory mangrove management plans, and guidelines for harvesting and trade on mangrove products. The guidelines also provide a guide to the use of mangrove forest areas for commercial activities/projects, depending on ecologically sensitivity of that area. Such areas are known as mangrove utilization zone.
In the utilization zone, projects such as mariculture and salt making are allowed, while in protection zone only ecotourism, recreational and beekeeping are allowed. Upon completion, these documents will be distributed to stakeholders (coastal communities, traders and investors) as part of information and working documents to stimulate active participation. Mangrove Management plan identifies an activity among others, with high priority, the development and promotion of Mangrove and Marine Ecotourism Strategy or a Master Plan. The document will guide the development of ecotourism facilities along the Tanzania Coast and attract investment said Prof. Eng. Dos Santos Silayo- CEO of Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS)
Talking about engaging the local communities; what is the way forward of TFS including the local communities in mangrove conservation?
Forest, Lands and Environmental policy and legal frameworks, identifies mangrove wetland as fragile and sensitive ecosystem so, it require careful human interventions and necessitate participation of stakeholders. According to these policy and legal frameworks the participation of local communities in management of forest resources is a mandatory.
Joint Forest Management is the framework in use to involve communities and stakeholders in mangrove conservation and utilization. The management resultants will be sustainable management and harvesting of mangroves and the accrual obtained from sales of forest products and services. The accrual is 5%, which is, channeled through District Councils. To make the communities benefit more directly from the resources, at the moment TFS is considering supporting the participating communities in forming mangrove harvesting and selling groups. The groups and their dependents will benefit directly, instead of being used as laborers in mangrove business by traders from far away which acted as negative incentive to participate in JFM. The management and supervision will be overseen by TFS, Village Governments and the Village Natural Committees said Prof. Eng. Dos Santos Silayo-CEO of Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS).
For me I believe there is no miracles in the conserving the mangroves, Yes hard working is not negotiable. TFS is willing to take the lead and It’s the actual time to fix the existing gaps in the line of conservation and pop-up economic activities that mirror with the mangroves because I know what shifts the conservators to other woodlands is the direct economic outputs stipulated and linearity in dealing with the local communities.
Take it as a challenge and a motivation to fuel your energy not otherwise. I choose not to like easy, because easy doesn’t bring growth, let’s do this! The issue of conserving the mangrove forests like how the other woodlands are being conserved is not negotiable.
