With global seafood demand increasing, aquaculture offers an opportunity to provide nutritious food while providing decent jobs. However, ensuring aquaculture production is ethical, sustainable, and climate-smart is a tall ask. We partnered with Zanzibar’s Ministry of Blue Economy & Fisheries, Zanzibar Fisheries and Marine Resources Research Institute (ZAFIRI), and @Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management to develop the Zanzibar Aquaculture Development Strategy (ZADS) 2025–2038, a forward-thinking roadmap designed to promote responsible aquaculture that supports both livelihoods and marine ecosystems.
A Vision for Aquaculture
The ZADS is built on a clear vision: by 2038, aquaculture will be a cornerstone of the archipelago’s blue economy, ensuring food security, economic stability, and environmental resilience. The focus remains on low-trophic, climate-smart aquaculture, particularly the cultivation of seaweed, sea cucumbers, and shellfish, which require minimal feed inputs and integrate seamlessly into marine ecosystems.
A well-planned aquaculture sector will generate employment for thousands of coastal residents while supporting biodiversity. By developing marine spatial planning frameworks, the authorities can allocate areas for different marine-based activities in a way that prevents conflict between users and ecosystem degradation. Importantly, the ZADS underlines the need for local value addition in seaweed and sea cucumber production, encouraging onshore processing of aquaculture products to maximise economic returns for the Islands of Zanzibar.
Core Principles of Ethical Aquaculture
At the heart of the ZADS is a commitment to responsible aquaculture practices, including:
- Environmental Stewardship: Encouraging marine spatial planning to prevent overuse of coastal ecosystems and reduce pollution.
- Social Responsibility: Empowering small-scale farmers, particularly women, to ensure equitable access to resources and market opportunities.
- Animal Welfare: Committing to only farming species that can be reared in good welfare conditions and ensuring rearing practices minimise stress and maximise health.
- Transparency & Accountability: Advocating for clear aquaculture regulations and robust monitoring mechanisms in order to maintain industry integrity.
A key component of responsible aquaculture is the reduction of negative environmental externalities. Practices such as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), which combines different species in rearing systems in order to balance waste outputs, and sustainable seaweed farming techniques, can mitigate the impact of aquaculture on marine ecosystems and provide a restorative aspect.
Innovating for Resilient and Productive Aquaculture
One of the most pressing challenges for Zanzibar’s aquaculture sector is resilience in the face of climate change. Rising sea temperatures, extreme weather, and shifting marine ecosystems pose risks to productivity. The ZADS promotes solutions such as:
- Shifting to deeper waters: Training small-scale farmers in offshore aquaculture techniques to mitigate climate risks.
- Improving genetic stock: Developing high-quality, disease-resistant strains of seaweed and aquatic species to enhance yields.
- Strengthening research & development: Collaborating with scientific institutions to test and refine sustainable farming practices.
- Capacity building: Providing training and knowledge-sharing platforms for farmers to adopt best practices in aquaculture management.
Beyond technical solutions, the ZADS also emphasises market-driven growth. By strengthening supply chains, improving access to international markets and ensuring compliance with sustainability certifications, Zanzibar’s aquaculture sector can expand in a way that aligns with ethical seafood production values.
Ethical Seafood Research’s Role
Ethical Seafood Research is committed to supporting responsible aquaculture through evidence-based policy development, industry partnerships and rigorous scientific inquiry. Our involvement in the Zanzibar aquaculture strategy underscores our belief that ethical aquaculture is not just an environmental imperative, but a pathway to socioeconomic transformation in coastal communities.
As we continue to engage with stakeholders, we aim to facilitate research initiatives that explore the long-term sustainability of Zanzibar’s aquaculture sector. We will work with policymakers, industry leaders and small-scale producers to ensure that innovation is aligned with the needs of local communities. Our goal is to help build an aquaculture industry that nourishes both people and the planet while remaining commercially viable and resilient.
A Call to Action
As aquaculture continues to expand globally, we must ensure it is done correctly and responsibly. Ethical Seafood Research invites policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to join us in fostering an aquaculture sector that is sustainable, ethical, and fit for the future. Let’s build a seafood industry that nourishes both people and the planet.
By integrating responsible practices and ensuring that policies support small-scale and commercial operators alike, we can build a thriving aquaculture sector that aligns with broader sustainability goals. The time for action is now—let’s shape the future of aquaculture together.
