Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System | |
---|---|
(DMRS) | |
Location | Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Region, Kinondoni District |
Nearest city | Dar es Salaam |
Coordinates | 06°50′S39°25′E / 6.833°S 39.417°E |
Area | 15 km² |
Established | 1975 |
Governing body | Marine Parks & Reserves Authority (Tanzania) |
Website | DMRS |
The Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System or DMRS (Hifahdi Akiba Bahari ya Dar es Salaam, in Swahili) is a group of marine reserves in Tanzania, with the IUCN category II located within Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. [1] The reserve system consists of nine uninhabited islands, four located north of Dar es Salaam's Kinondoni District; (Bongoyo, Mbudya, Pangavini and Fungu Yasini) and four south of the city Makatumbi Islands, Kimbubu Island, Sinda Island and Kendwa Island in Kigamboni District. It provides protection for several important tropical ecosystems; coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds. [2]
Management of the reserve is governed by the Tanzanian Board of Trustees of Marine Parks and Reserves which is the custodian and overseer of the establishment and management of the Marine Protected Reserves in Tanzania.
The Dar es Salaam Marine Reserves were first established under the Fisheries Act of 1970 and in 1998 were transferred to the Marine Parks and Reserves (MPRs), Act No. 29 of 1994. .
Visits to the reserve area (especially Bongoyo and Mbudya) are a popular daytrip for both tourists and Tanzanian residents alike, the islands serving as a location for a variety of leisure activities, including snorkelling, sunbathing and hiking. However, over recent years unregulated tourist activities has led to degradation within the reserves.
The nearby fishing communities of Kunduchi, Unonio, and Msasani all appear to be heavily dependent on the resources in the reserves and resource over-exploitation is an increasing concern with local fishermen attributing a decline in fish catches over recent years to the use of small mesh nets and dynamite fishing. A decrease in the abundance of fish and coral health, and an increased amount of bleached and broken coral has been noted by divers.
On Tanzania's mainland, it appears that there are hardly any populations left, while it's likely that a few remain to the north of Dar es Salaam. In contrast, the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve system is made up of nine tiny, uninhabited islands, six of which are known to have colonies of coconut crabs (Mbudya, Bongoyo, Pangavini, Kendwa, Sinda Island). Bongoyo Island had the largest specimes of the crabs in the country. [3]
Pemba Island is a Tanzanian island forming part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, lying within the Swahili Coast in the Indian Ocean.
Kinondoni District, officially the Kinondoni Municipal Council is one of five districts of the Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. The district is bordered to the north by Bagamoyo District and Kibaha of Pwani Region, to the east by the Indian Ocean, the west by Ubungo District, and to the south by the Ilala District. The district covers an area of 269.5 km2 (104.1 sq mi). The district is comparable in size to the land area of Malta. The administrative seat is Ndugumbi. The district is home to one of the best preserved Medieval Swahili settlements, Kunduchi Ruins, headquarters for the National Muslim Council of Tanzania (BAKWATA) and Makumbusho Village Museum. Considered the cultural center of Dar es Salaam, Kinondoni District is also regarded the birthplace of the musical genre of Singeli. In addition the district is one of two districts in Dar es Salaam that has a National Historic Site, namely the Kunduchi Ruins.The 2012 National Tanzania Census states the population for Kinondoni as 1,775,049.
Shimoni is a port village and tourist destination in southeastern Kenya near the border with Tanzania and directly across from Wasini Island.
Chumbe Island is a small privately owned island a few kilometres off the main island of Zanzibar, known for its ecological innovation and exceptional coral reefs.
Bongoyo Island is a protected, uninhabited island under the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve with the IUCN category II located within Kinondoni District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. The island situated 2.5 km north of the country's largest city, Dar es Salaam in the Sea of Zanj. It is the most frequently visited of the four islands of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System (DMRS) and a popular daytrip for both tourists and Tanzanian residents alike for snorkelling and sunbathing. North of the island is Mbudya Island and to the west is Pangavini Island. The island is home to some of Tanzania's largest specimens of endangered coconut crabs.
Mbudya Island is a protected, uninhabited island under the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve with the IUCN category II located within Kinondoni District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. The island reserve measures around 14.2 km2. Fungu Yasin is to the north of the island, and Bongoyo Island is to the south. The island of Pangavini is to the west. The island is home to endangered coconunt crabs.
Pangavini Island is a protected, uninhabited island under the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve with the IUCN category II located within Kinondoni District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. The island reserve measures around 2.13km2. Pangavini is the smallest island in the group, only about 250 m long; it has a rocky coastline without beaches. To the west of the island is Kunduchi ward and to the north is Mbudya Island. To the south of the island is Bongoyo Island.
Fungu Yasini Island is a protected, uninhabited island under the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve (DMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Kinondoni District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. The island reserve measures around 22.90km2 with most it underwater as a reef. South of the island is Mbudya Island.
Maziwi island officially, The Maziwe Island Marine Reserve is a unvegetated, protected island surrounded by coral reefs located about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south east of the town of Pangani off the northern coast of Tanga Region in Tanzania. The island is administered under Mwera ward of Pangani District. However, it is currently under the Tanga Marine Reserves System. It became a nature reserve in 1975. At one time the island was larger than its present area and was well-vegetated but with the loss of its coconut trees and scrub cover, it has suffered erosion and is now sometimes completely immersed at the time of the highest tides. Green sea turtles no longer nest on the island, but it is visited by numerous sea birds. The sea contains many species of coral and over two hundred species of fish. The reserve has received little active conservation work but management is now supported by levying a small fee on tourists which is used to compensate local fishermen for loss of income.
The Menai Bay Conservation Area (MBCA) is located in Menai Bay, Zanzibar Tanzania. At 470 square kilometres (180 sq mi), it is Zanzibar's largest marine protected area. It was officially established as a conservation area in August 1997 in the traditional fishing area, known as Unguja Island, covering the tropical marine environment comprising extensive coral reefs, tropical fish, sea grasses, and mangrove forests. In addition to controlling illegal fishing, MBCA's alternative initiatives have included bee keeping, mangrove replanting, tree nurseries and tourism. The management of the MBCA falls upon the Fisheries Department and the bay's local villages. It is rated by the IUCN as Category VI Managed Resource Protected Area.
The Marine Park and Reserves Unit of Tanzania was formed in 1994 under the Marine Parks and Reserve Act No 29, of 1994. The headquarters are located in Upanga West ward of Ilala District in Dar es Salaam Region. Previously all marine life and biodiversity was under the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. The population along the 1400 km Tanzanian coastline has reached to over 10 million and the increase in number of people whose livelihood depends on the marine resource has also increased. The increase in population has caused various threats to the marine life due to over fishing, coral mining and unplanned increase in settlements. To protect the marine biodiversity the Government of Tanzania established the Marine Park and Reserves unit in 1994 with Mafia Island Marine Park as the first marine park.
The East African coral coast is a marine ecoregion along the eastern coast of Africa. It extends along the coasts of Kenya, Tanzania, and northern Mozambique, from Lamu in Kenya to Angoche in Mozambique. It adjoins the Northern Monsoon Current Coast ecoregion to the north, and the Bight of Sofala/Swamp Coast ecoregion to the south.
Makatumbi Islands or Makatumbe Islands are a protected, uninhabited islands in the Sea of Zanj under the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve (DMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Kigamboni District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. The islands reserve measures around 7.8km2 consisting of inner and outer Makatumbi Island. South of the island is Kimbumbu Island and north is the Dar es Salaam harbor mouth. The island is under threat from Marine pollution as elevated cadmium readings offshore for a core found east of Makatumbe Island near the entrance to the Dar es Salaam harbour.
Sinda Island is a protected, uninhabited island in the Sea of Zanj under the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve (DMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Kigamboni District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. The islands reserve measures around 4.6km2 consisting of inner and outer Sinder Island. South of the island is Kikwero reef and west is the Somangila ward of Kigamboni. The island is home to endangered coconunt crabs.
Kimbubu Island is a protected, uninhabited island in the Sea of Zanj under the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve (DMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Kigamboni District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. The islands reserve measures around 4.7km2. East of the island is Sinda Island, north is the Makatumbi Islands and west is the Mjimwema ward of Kigamboni.
Kendwa Island is a protected, uninhabited island in the Sea of Zanj under the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve (DMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Kigamboni District of Dar es Salaam Region in Tanzania. The islands reserve measures around 5.30km2. The Sinda Island is to the east of the island, the Makatumbi Islands are to the north, and the Kigamboni ward of Kigamboni is to the west. The island is home to endangered coconunt crabs.
Kirui Island officially, Kirui Island Marine Reserve is a protected, uninhabited island in the Pemba Channel under the Tanga Marine Reserves (TMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Mkinga District of Tanga Region in Tanzania. The Island is the largest in Tanga and one of the largest protected marine Islands in Tanzania Mangroves are thought to cover 680 ha (ha) of the island of Kirui, with the largest mangrove area being on the north and west sides, Kigomeni mangrove being on the east coast, and Kirui South Mangrove being on the south.
The Tanga Marine Reserves System (TMRS) is a group of marine reserves in Tanzania, with the IUCN category II located within Tanga Region of Tanzania. The Tanga Marine reserves have every species of mangrove found in Tanzania. Rhizophora mucronata predominated in wave-protected locations, while Sonneratia alba was the main tree seaward. There are no sandy beaches that are appropriate for tourists, and there are no known sea turtle breeding grounds in the TMRs. All TMRs, though, serve as significant sea bird breeding areas. The Tanga Marine Reserves are : Kirui Island, Maziwe Island, Ulenge Island, Kwale Island and Mwewe Island.
Ulenge Island officially, Ulenge Island Marine Reserve is a protected, seasonally habited island in the Pemba Channel under the Tanga Marine Reserves (TMRS) with the IUCN category II located within Tanga City COuncil of Tanga Region in Tanzania. Kwale Island and Ulenge Island are the only islands in the marine reserve that are seasonally inhabited. Of Tanga's whole marine reserves system, Ulenge Island is the most degraded. Ulenge's reefs had the lowest fish numbers and the lowest coral cover and species diversity. This is mostly because Tanga Bay and Tanga City Council are nearby, which has a greater negative human impact. Ulenge Island is nicknamed by English speakers as Bird Island due to its importance as a seabird sanctuary.