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New endangered fish species found in Mafia
2006-07-13 08:45:23
By Judica Tarimo
New endangered fish species has been discovered in the Island of Mafia, increasing the number of the world’s threatened species found in Tanzania, The Guardian has learnt.
Marine experts told this paper in an exclusive interview that ’’whall-shark’’, one of the rare fish species, was found in the country’s waters some two months ago.
’’Whall-shark is mostly found in deep sea- 200 metres below the water surface. It’s unbelievable to note that our experts found the species in shallow waters in Mafia,’’ said John Mapepele, a Senior Information Officer of Marine Parks and Reserves Unit in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism at the just-concluded Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF).
Mafia Island and Mnazi Bay Marine Parks are amongst the country’s largest marine protected areas. Other protected marine reserves are Mbudya, Pangani, and Bongoyo Islands.
Marine experts say endangered species – 3 Dugong and 26 Coelacanth, were found in the country’s coastal areas some three years back.
Coelacanth, which has been re-discovered in some parts of the world after over 64 million years of extinction, was found in the coastal areas of Tanga, Kilwa, Lindi, and Pangani.
Marine Parks Unit’s official said the country is also endowed with a variety of the world’s threatened fish species – tuna, barracuda, turtles and others.
’’Our country is so rich in marine resources; you can find marine mammals such as dolphins and whales,’’ he said.
Other marine resources include fruit-bats, sea urchins, crabs, starfish, cucumbers, squids, lobsters, and octopuses and mangrove forests with big, mature trees.
Mapepele said the ministry targets to lure more foreign tourists through available marine resources and threatened fish species.
’’We want to put more emphasis on ecotourism. We think, this could be the best alternative to attract more tourists and earn the country foreign currency,’’ said the official.
The marine unit had charted a strategic management plan to protect marine resources and reduce the number of people, whose lives depend on the resources.
In co-operating with surrounding villages’ members, the unit has earmarked marine protected areas and developed alternative income-generating projects for the wananchi.
’’The idea is to empower community members to participate fully in the protection of marine resources and reduce their dependency on them. The objective is to strike a balance between conservation and livelihoods,’’ observed the official.
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