Kisiwa cha Chumbe chasherehekea mafanikio ya maeneo ya Hifadhi ya Bahari chini ya ufadhili wa Mradi wa BIOPAMA

Katika sherehe za ufungaji rasmi zilizofanyika siku ya Alhamis tarehe 30 Juni 2022 Chukwani , Kisiwa cha Chumbe kwa kushirikiana na mchora katuni kutoka Tanzania, Meddy waliwasilisha hadithi ya mafanikio ya programu ya ujuzi wa Ranger vijana wa Chumbe pamoja na jamii ya wavuvi walioshiriki katika mpango wa muda mrefu wa elimu ya mazingira.

Engaging Zanzibari youth in marine conservation and sustainable tourism through a very practical and hands-on approach, while encouraging especially young women who seldom get the opportunity to shine in wildlife conservation, was only one of five milestones presented at the ceremony which marked the end of Chumbe’s 14 months Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Rapid Response project, financed by the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States through the BIOPAMA Programme.

Kuwashirikisha vijana wa Kizanzibari katika uhifadhi wa bahari na utalii endelevu kwa njia ya vitendo, vile vile kuwahamasisha hasa vijana wa kike ambao mara nyingi hukosa fursa ya kutembelea maeneo ya Hifadhi, hili lilikuwa ni moja kati ya mambo Matano yaliyowasilishwa katika sherehe ambayo ndio mwisho wa miezi 14 ya Mradi wa Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) uliofadhiliwa na Jumuiya ya Ulaya na Umoja wa mataifa ya  Afrika, Caribbean na Pacific kwa kupitia  programu ya BIOPAMA.

As a not-for-profit private marine and terrestrial protected area in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Chumbe Island has been self-financing through sustainable ecotourism for more than 20 years. However, as tourism halted due to the COVID19 pandemic in 2020/21, the BIOPAMA Rapid Response project ensured that conservation management on Chumbe Island not only continued but also excelled in:

Kama eneo linalojiendesha bila kutengeneza faida la kibinafsi la baharini na nchi kavu huko Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kisiwa cha Chumbe kimekuwa kikijifadhili kupitia utalii endelevu wa ikolojia kwa zaidi ya miaka 20. Hata hivyo, utalii uliposimama kutokana na janga la COVID19 mwaka 2020/21, mradi wa BIOPAMA Rapid Response ulihakikisha kuwa usimamizi wa uhifadhi katika Kisiwa cha Chumbe sio tu unaendelea bali pia unafanya vyema katika:

• Vital enforcement of a 55 ha no-take Coral Reef Sanctuary and a 17 ha Closed Forest Reserve through improved MPA patrols in order to safeguard Chumbe’s unique biodiversity and reduce the prevailing risk of wildlife poaching.

Kufanya ukaguzi na ulinzi wa hekta 55 za eneo tengefu la Hifadhi ya miamba ya Matumbawe  na hekta 17 za msitu wa Hifadhi kwa ajili ya ulinzi wa viumbe vya kipekee vilivyopo Chumbe pamoja na kupunguza ajali zinazoweza kusababishwa na uvamizi wa wavuvi.

• Continuous protection of crucial biodiversity for the East African region and preservation of Chumbe’s important function as a fisheries nursery ground benefiting fishing communities through spillover and restocking of adjacent fishing grounds.

Kuendeleza ulinzi wa viumbe muhimu kwa eneo la Afrika Mashariki na uhifadhi wa kazi muhimu ya Chumbe kama ni mazalio na malelezi ya Samaki kwa faida ya jamii ya wavuvi ambapo Samaki hutoka katika eneo la Hifadhi na kusheheneza maeneo maeneo yaliyo Karibu.

• Full-time employment of 8 experienced conservation team members who implemented optimal patrol efficiency and continued the environmental education program, involving more than 400 fishers from 12 fishing villages in Unguja.

Kupata uajiri wa muda wote kwa timu ya watu 8 wenye uzoefu wa uhifadhi, ambao walifanya ulinzi maridhawa na kuendeleza  mpango wa elimu ya mazingira, ambao ulihusisha Zaidi ya wavuvi 400 kutoka vijiji 12 vya Unguja.

• Skills development of 10 local youth involving 6 months internship placements for two young ocean heroes, while empowering a young Zanzibari woman to become the first female ranger trained in Zanzibar.

Kuwapatia ujuzi vijana 10 na pia kuwapa mafunzo vijana wawili ili wawe mabingwa wa mambo yahusuyo bahari kwa muda wa miezi 6, na pia kumuwezesha kijana  wa kike kuwa ranger wa kwanza aliepata mafunzo kwa Zanzibar.

• Strengthened the relationship with other Marine Conservation Areas (MCA) in Zanzibar through a ranger symposium and networking events

Kuimarisha mahusiano na maeneo mengine ya Hifadhi ya Bahari (MCA) yaliopo Zanzibar kupitia makongamano ya marenja pamoja na kujenga mtandao wa matukio.

The impact of the project was visually captured by Tanzanian cartoonist, Mohamed Jumanne known by his artist name ‘Meddy’, who enriched the closing event through his live drawings which will be displayed at Chumbe Island with support from the Embassy of France in Tanzania.

Mafanikio ya mradi huo yalinaswa na mchora katuni wa Tanzania, Mohamed Jumanne aliyefahamika kwa jina la kisanii ‘Meddy’, ambaye aliboresha tukio la kufunga mradi huo kupitia michoro yake ya moja kwa moja itakayoonyeshwa katika kisiwa cha Chumbe kwa msaada wa Ubalozi wa Ufaransa nchini Tanzania.

At the end of the ceremony, the Chumbe team thanked its stakeholders and funders and highlighted the importance of this project for enhanced management and governance of marine protected areas in Zanzibar by empowering community members, especially youth, through environmental education and skills development in the challenging times of the pandemic, as well as to raise awareness of the importance of marine protected area conservation through art.

Mwishoni mwa hafla hiyo timu ya Chumbe ilitoa shukurani kwa wadau na wafadhili wake na kueleza umuhimu wa mradi huu kwa kuimarisha usimamizi na utawala bora wa maeneo ya hifadhi ya bahari ya Zanzibar kwa kuwajengea uwezo wanajamii hususani vijana kupitia elimu ya mazingira na kukuza ujuzi katika wenye changamoto za majanga, pamoja na kuongeza uelewa juu ya umuhimu wa uhifadhi wa maeneo ya baharini kwa njia ya sanaa.