Climate change, overfishing and habitat loss have caused a sharp decline in fish stocks around Pemba Island, off the coast of Tanzania. To find a new income from the sea, women from Pemba are turning to sustainable seaweed farming, Mongabay’s video team reported in May. Seaweed farming was introduced to the island in 1989. It has a low environmental impact at small scale, especially since it’s grown in shallow ocean water and doesn’t require fertilizers, freshwater or arable land. Today, the practice helps seaweed farmers, who are mostly women, support their families. “I have been a seaweed farmer since 1995. I value this activity as it helps me provide food for my family, pay for my children’s education, and earn a living,” seaweed farmer Shadya told Mongabay. She added that the seaweed farm has created something of a microhabitat attracting a variety of fish, squid, octopus and other marine animals. Studies also show that seaweed farms can mitigate the local effects of ocean acidification. Seaweed has become one of Tanzania’s main exports, Mongabay reported. In light of this, the government has been supporting programs for sustainable seaweed farming. “Since this project, they’ve adopted modern farming techniques,” seaweed agriculture expert Aisha Hamisi Sultani told Mongabay, referring to what is called a double loop system. More than 25,000 seaweed farmers, mostly women, have benefited from a government program in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. With improved cultivation techniques, the farmers are able to earn more money. “It helped us greatly as our…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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