An exchange between Indonesia and Tanzania supports food security and ocean health

Food is a critical part of our lives, but where it comes from and how it’s harvested impacts our ecosystems. “Blue foods” are the aquatic animals, plants, or algae caught or cultivated in freshwater and marine environments for human consumption. It’s a rapidly growing industry with demand expected to double by 2050.

Current blue food production practices and its growing demand threaten ocean health. Around the world, WWF helps manage sustainable growth through conservation, by supporting both traditional sustainability-oriented management and science-based practices. This combination supports long-term food security and biodiversity goals.

Sharing traditions and innovations 

More sustainable blue food systems benefit both the nutrition and income needs of coastal people as well as the health of marine ecosystems. It also requires balancing tradition and innovation. Recent exchange trips between WWF Indonesia and WWF Tanzania staff, who each work with local communities to sustainably manage coastal resources, helped staff learn from each other’s successes and challenges. Though separated by more than 5,000 miles, there are many similarities between coastal communities in Indonesia (such as Alor Island) and Tanzania (Mafia Island). The exchange highlighted three areas of management that WWF is using across countries to build sustainable blue food systems in our priority seascapes:

Embracing seaweed

Seaweed farming offers sustainable livelihood opportunities for fishing communities. WWF supports the development of seaweed in both Tanzania and Indonesia and the exchange trip offered both offices and communities opportunities to share learnings and outcomes. In fact, three seaweed species (E. cottonii, K. striatum, and E. spinosum) are farmed in both countries.

In Tanzania, WWF supported training for communities and government officials on methods to improve seaweed production, including seed selection, optimal harvest times, and improved post-harvest practices. Because seaweed is vulnerable to local conditions and climate change, it is often paired with other sustainable livelihoods to ensure communities have greater economic security in a warming world.

Communities in Indonesia turned to seaweed farming after facing declines in other revenue sources. On Bana Island, a community is pursuing seaweed aquaculture after agriculture production fell. Today, 90% of the community is involved in seaweed farming and it has become the primary income source.

Supporting Women-owned Microfinancing Programs

Historically, women in the seafood sector have not been offered the same opportunities as men, especially in developing businesses and taking ownership over decision-making and finances. When women have more decision-making power, they can diversify their family income and reduce dependency on a single-income source, like fishing.

WWF Tanzania has taken a proactive approach to women’s empowerment and works to start microfinancing programs. 6,000 members—70% of which are women —now have bank accounts and the capability to take out soft loans to start selling marine and coastal stock like fish, coconut, mangrove products, handicrafts, and seaweed, as well as start businesses such as roadside cafes, tailoring, and apiculture (beekeeping). Microfinance hasn't yet developed in Indonesia to this extent, so learning about its success helped identify ways for WWF Indonesia to explore microfinancing further.

In Bali, Indonesia, women handle more than half of all fish processing. The WWF partner organization, Coral Triangle Centre, focuses on growing women’s empowerment in the region and improving financial leadership opportunities to give women a greater role in conservation and sustainable management.

Centering local ownership and marine management

Local ownership and management are at the center of WWF’s conservation approach and is key to achieving stable fisheries and social and economic benefits. In Tanzania, this includes working with communities to gain local management rights through governance structures called “Beach Management Units.” Similarly, WWF helps support fishers in Indonesia to organize co-management committees that help manage marine protected areas.

In Tanzania, Indonesia and more than 100 countries, WWF has an incredible network of dedicated staff working to improve our planet for people and nature. By embracing opportunities to meet and exchange learnings, we find common, sustainable solutions for our oceans and the communities that rely on blue foods.