EU funds community-led marine conservation drive

From the newsletter

Tanzania has launched a $12 million project to boost marine conservation in coastal regions. Funded by the European Union, this initiative aims to benefit over 500,000 people by promoting local community involvement and restoring degraded ecosystems. It will create at least 360 blue and green entrepreneurs and establish 15 plastic waste ventures across the mainland and Zanzibar.

• A continental shift towards greater involvement of local communities in conservation projects is now routinely feeding through to the frontlines. But the methods still differ greatly. 

• The Pamoja Tuhifadhi Bahari Yetu project seeks to engage communities through a structured grants mechanism targeting local civil society groups, associations, and professional organisations.

More details

• The Pamoja Tuhifadhi Bahari Yetu (Let’s Conserve Our Ocean Together) project will be implemented in six regions: Mtwara, Lindi, Coast, and Dar es Salaam in Mainland Tanzania, as well as North and South Unguja in Zanzibar. Key partners include the International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, Forum CC, and the European Union Delegation to Tanzania.

• The EU has already issued a call for grant applications, placing a strong emphasis on local entrepreneurs, which will allocate $9 million of the total funding.

• Mr. Zahor El Kharousy, representing the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Zanzibar, stated, “Projects like Bahari Yetu align with our national agenda. We commend its community-driven, inclusive, and environmentally sound approach. It supports government efforts in marine conservation by strengthening coastal resource management, promoting co-management, raising environmental awareness, and enhancing sustainable livelihoods.”

• The project will collaborate with communities through grant initiatives that support marine conservation, sustainable tourism, fisheries, and aquaculture. The strategy emphasises participatory, inclusive, and gender-sensitive approaches, ensuring that local actors, including beach management units, Shehia leaders, and women's groups, lead the interventions. Activities are intentionally designed to be labour-intensive and community-driven, creating jobs and fostering local ownership.

• Eligible community actors must demonstrate a presence in the field, experience in blue economy sectors, and organisational capacity. Through the grants, they will implement projects that improve coastal infrastructure, promote eco-tourism, and strengthen local fisheries management. Beneficiaries will receive technical assistance tailored to industry needs, including training in sustainable practices, business development for micro and small enterprises, and knowledge of global sustainability standards. Women and youth will be a key focus, particularly in co-management structures and value chain participation.

• To enhance collaboration, the project promotes strategies such as participatory surveillance and collaborative data collection. Local communities will be trained to monitor fishing activities and use traceability tools to combat illegal fishing. Co-management structures, supported through the grants, will empower communities to influence resource governance, ensuring environmental sustainability and climate resilience while generating income.

Our take

• Community funding for conservation promotes local ownership, addresses specific needs, and empowers communities while simultaneously protecting biodiversity and natural resources. This method ensures that conservation initiatives are developed in collaboration with local populations rather than being imposed from external sources. 

• By actively involving communities, conservation efforts become more sustainable and effective, as local residents are more inclined to uphold and protect the resources they own and benefit from.