Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve

Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System
(DMRS)

Fungu Yasini reef
Map showing the location of Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System
Nearest city Dar es Salaam
Coordinates 06°50′S 39°25′E / 6.833°S 39.417°E / -6.833; 39.417Coordinates: 06°50′S 39°25′E / 6.833°S 39.417°E / -6.833; 39.417
Area 15 km²
Governing body Marine Parks & Reserves Authority (Tanzania)
http://www.marineparks.go.tz/parks_info.php?id=4

The Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System (DMRS) is a group of marine wildlife reserves in Tanzania, situated off the coast of Dar es Salaam Region. The reserve system consists of nine uninhabited islands, four north of Dar es Salaam (Bongoyo, Mbudya, Pangavini and Fungu Yasini) and five south of the city (Inner and Outer Makatumbe, Inner and Outer Sinda and Kendwa Island). It provides protection for several important tropical ecosystems; coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds.

Legal status

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. .

Threats

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.

External links

Pangavini Island
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/19/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.