Image
On the coast and in waters off Pemba, Zanzibar, two women, Asha Juma Khamis and Asha Bakar Mtwana, are on a mission. As marine rangers of Blue Alliance PECCA, they patrol the North Pemba Channel Conservation Area (PECCA), to preserve the vibrant marine ecosystems that sustains their community.
Asha Juma Khamis, 41, and Asha Bakar Mtwana, 38, are both female rangers living in the Makangale area of North Pemba, Zanzibar. As part of the Blue Alliance PECCA enforcement team, these courageous women are on the front lines, working relentlessly to protect the ocean.
Each day, they embark on boat patrols, removing illegal fishing nets and educating local fishermen on sustainable practices. On land, they walk the beaches and mangroves, teaching fishermen about the importance of catching fish and octopus of the right size to avoid depleting stocks. These patrols ensure that the waters of the North Pemba Channel Conservation Area are protected from illegal activities, benefiting both marine biodiversity and local communities. In addition to the daily patrols, the Blue Alliance rangers are involved in monitoring Crown of Thorns Starfish, protecting sea turtle nests, and raising public awareness.
About the Pemba Channel Conservation Area
The Pemba Channel Conservation Area belongs to the world's most biodiverse regions. Its unique marine environment is home to more than 40 threatened marine species, including the endangered Napoleon wrasse, green and hawksbill sea turtles, reef manta ray, dugong, and several shark species, such as the grey reef shark and the scalloped hammerhead. The Pemba Channel, which separates the island of Pemba from mainland Africa, is also known for the highest cetacean diversity and relative abundance in the country, hosting 13 recorded species, including the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin.
50% of Tanzania’s reefs are located around Pemba Island, and the Northern Pemba Channel Conservation Area which Blue Alliance PECCA is managing, encompasses approximately 27,000 hectares of highly biodiverse coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. The cool water upwellings from the deep Pemba Channel, which separates Pemba Island from mainland Tanzania, make Pemba Island's coral reefs a potential refuge against climate change.
About the Pemba Programme
Through catalytic grant funding and support from the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas established a blended finance facility that will contribute to effectively protect, manage, and monitor networks of MPAs. The financing facility is positioned to scale up reef-positive businesses, which contribute financially to the MPA management through dividends and/or revenue sharing, allowing to cover operational costs such as ranger salaries, conservation activities, livelihood development, scientific monitoring and research, and empowerment of women on the frontlines of climate change. Now fully operationalised, the facility is attracting capital from private investors including BNP Paribas and UBS Optimus Foundation.
In Pemba, the blended finance programme is led by Blue Alliance PECCA with a strong partnership with the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries (MBEF) of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and the local communities. This partnership enables the co-management of the North Pemba Channel Conservation Area, including the implementation of sustainable fisheries and enhancement of compliance with fishery and environmental laws within the area. This is achieved through a combination of surveillance, long-term community engagement programmes, and the enforcement of fisheries legislation aimed at combating destructive and illegal fishing methods. Regular joint patrols, consisting of local police and military representatives, Shehia* fishing committee enforcers, and Blue Alliance PECCA rangers like Asha Juma and Asha Bakar, are a key component of this effort.
*A Shehia is the lowest official administrative unit in Zanzibar.
Working closely with the local government and the community members, the initiative seeks to enhance the management of marine ecosystems in Pemba, through targeted efforts on promoting economic growth, social inclusion, and improved livelihoods for Zanzibaris while ensuring environmental sustainability.
The Blue Alliance rangers continuously enhance their conservation efforts and utilise new enforcement strategies and tools, including the EarthRanger app to make their patrols more effective. This tool helps them track illegal fishing and other activities in real-time, even when they’re out of cell signal range. The app turns their smartphones into a vital tool for protecting their ocean—allowing them to make swift, informed decisions. By logging precise locations and taking photos on the spot, they can quickly act on threats to their marine environment. "We use the EarthRanger app to record when we go on patrol," Asha Bakar notes, highlighting how technology is helping to protect their ocean.
Reflecting on how her involvement with Blue Alliance PECCA has changed her perspective on marine conservation, Asha Bakar says, “I have come to understand that conservation brings a lot of benefits, not just for the environment but for our community as well. Through the education I’m receiving, I’m able to teach others about the importance of protecting our marine resources.”
To read the full article, please head over to its original place of publishing www.linkedin.com