Controversy haunts $1bn port

development project
CONTROVERSY surrounds a multi-billion shilling port development project in Tanga
Region, hich no threatens the survival o! Coelacanths - a rare, prehistoric "sh
once considered e#tinct, but no !ound in Tan$anian aters%
&ccording to T'(S)&Y "ndings, e#perts !ear that the proposed harbour project at
*ambani +a, being implemented b, the state-run Tan$ania -orts &uthorit, .T-&/
could ipe out the remaining species o! the orld0s rarest and most enigmatic
deep-ater "shes%
*ambani +a,, located eight 1ilometres south o! Tanga, has long been proposed 2
together ith +agamo,o - as a location !or a ne port under the -ort *aster -lan
.-*-/ commissioned b, the T-& last ,ear%
Cost estimates o! the ne *ambani port range !rom 3455m given in 6557, hen a
8uaiti compan, shoed interest .but later ithdre/, to a minimum o! 39bn
suggested b, an international transport specialist%
+ut the -*- 655: report donpla,s the costs o! this ne port to onl, beteen
399;m and 39<4m, hich man, e#perts consider to be totall, unrealistic but merel,
00political "gures to ma1e the investment appear more pro"table00%
The land area in =uestion is =uite densel, populated, ith an estimated population
o! just over >,555 people% *ambani also has a number o! investments and
developments, including a recentl,-opened international con!erence centre% The
main occupations o! the area inhabitants are agriculture, "shing, seaeed !arming,
and more recentl,, tourism%
The area is also 1non to have a relativel, health, population o! the increasingl,
endangered Coelacanths%
T'(S)&Y has learnt that under a directive issued b, -resident 8i1ete himsel! bac1
in 655<, plans have been set in motion to establish a marine protected area .*-&/
speci"call, !or the Coelacanth, to encompass *ambani +a, as ell%
The president0s directive !olloed the "rst o?cial catch o! the Coelacanth in
Tan$ania bac1 in September 655;, hich as !olloed more than >5 more captures
o! the rare "sh in various spots along the (ndian Ocean shoreline 2 !rom *tara to
Tanga, and including @an$ibar%
Ap to September 655>, a total o! 6> Coelacanths had been caught in the countr,, a
"gure that one international marine science e#pert described as 00the greatest
number o! Coelacanths caught in the shortest time in an, one part o! the orld%00
&ccording to Chi1ambi Rumisha, !ormer manager o! the *arine -ar1s and Reserves
Anit .*-RA/ and member o! the Tan$ania National *anagement Committee o! the
&!rican Coelacanth Ecos,stem -rogramme .&CE-/, the high rate o! capture o!
Coelacanths had alarmed national and international authorities ali1e%
(t is understood that pending !urther studies to determine the current status o! the
Coelacanth population, ecolog, and habitat, authorities have placed a moratorium
on deep ater traling hile "shermen have reduced their use o! deep set shar1
nets near Tanga%
'oever, members o! the local marine science communit, argue that these
measures are not enough, as Coelacanths continue to be pulled up b, "shers
especiall, around *ambani%
The, comment that the destruction o! coral ree!s b, rampant d,namite "shing has
made traditional "shing grounds unproductive, and that this is the main cause o!
the sudden regular capture o! Coelacanths !rom 655;, as "shers have no to go
!urther oBshore and set deeper nets to catch an,thing%
00Tralers operating in the area ma, also have also stirred up the deep habitats o!
the Coelacanths,00 observe the marine scientists%
The, sa, implementation o! the *-& is there!ore urgentl, needed !or sustainable
management o! the marine resources, hich ould include la en!orcement against
destructive "shing, and thus also bene"t the hole "sheries sector in the area%
The !ormal *-& planning process is led b, the *-RA, and supported b, other
national and international agencies%
The *inister !or Civestoc1 )evelopment and Disheries, Eohn *agu!uli, recentl,
con"rmed the government0s intention to establish the *-& in Tanga as planned%
+ut all these eBorts are no being threatened b, the planned ne T-& harbour
project at *ambani +a,, that ould inevitabl, aBect the land and marine
environment o! the area and perhaps lead to the "nal e#tinction o! the Coelacanth%
Though the envisaged ne port ould convert the hole ba, into an industrial
$one, it is understood that institutions li1e the National Environment *anagement
Council .NE*C/ have reportedl, been e#cluded !rom the planning process so !ar%
Stated NE*C )irector Feneral +onaventure +a,aG 00Though an environmental and
social impact assessment .ES(&/ is re=uired b, la !or such developments, NE*C
has not been involved ,et in the planning o! the ne harbour in *ambani +a,%00
00He are de"nitel, not aare o! an, application !or an ES(& !or the proposed
harbour,00 he said in a telephone intervie last ee1%
The T-& Operations *anager, Captain .rtd/ Filbert Cu1e *o1ia, said the issue o!
hether or not the port project poses a threat to the survival o! the Coelacanth
should be addressed b, both the !easibilit, stud, and the E(& reports%
'e addedG 00+ut moreover, hile this "sh is 1non to be delling at greater depths
o! more than 9>5 metres and in caves, our normal port and shipping operations ill
hardl, re=uire ater depths o! more than 65 metres deep%00
'e noted that both the !easibilit, and environmental impact assessment studies
have not ,et been carried out to indicate the actual costs o! the project and hence
allo !or the search !or !unding to begin%
00&ll other things being e=ual, it is anticipated that this project ma, not become
operational until the ,ear 659<,00 *o1ia told T'(S)&Y in an intervie%
CAC&S C(F&NF&
)ar es Salaam
(This Day, Tanzania, 31-03-09)