2024 Tanga-Pemba Knowledge Dissemination Symposium

In collaboration with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) IUCN is facilitating a knowledge-sharing symposium aiming at enhancing awareness and an understanding of the state of the ocean through various studies that have been conducted under Bahari Mali project.

Attended by members from government institutions, Academia, research institutions, International NGOs and women’s marine conservation groups, the 2-day workshop brings together stakeholders across the Tanga-Pemba seascape to share knowledge and unveil significant research findings and case studies that address pressing challenges within the seascape including ocean acidification, gender inclusivity in marine resources management and sustainable mariculture practices. The symposium further focuses on enhancing marine and coastal ecosystems management through knowledge exchange, collaborative action and innovative solutions.

‘This symposium is timely and very important because the centre to all these solutions will be good evidence of our work across the Tanga-Pemba seascape. It’s within this knowledge we can find those tools and practical impact, so that we can work together and strengthen both our ecosystems and the resilience of our communities. We cannot underestimate the importance of this collaboration of having all of us in the room, it’s the diversity of ideas that is going to help us on what we can do together and informed ideas we can come up with. The Irish Embassy is pleased to contribute to the generation of this knowledge through Bahari Mali program’ stated Suzan Keatinge ,the Deputy head of Head of Development Cooperation Irish Embassy Tanzania.

The Tanga-Pemba seascape symposium is a landmark initiative designed to foster interdisciplinary cooperation among various stakeholders including local communities, government departments, researchers and marine conservation partners. By creating a platform for real-time knowledge sharing and cross-learning, the platform seeks to empower stakeholders to co-create a shared research agenda that addresses the unique challenges and opportunities within the seascape.

‘It is our sole responsibility to ensure that this knowledge generated through the findings is kept into good use and benefits the community. As stakeholders, lets collaborate further towards the shared goals and integration of marine and biodiversity projects and this forum will be the best platform for doing so.’ Stated Dr. Salim Hamza, Officer in charge from the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries Zanzibar.

In the presence of the convening stakeholders, the symposium will also highlight the discussion of the Science to Business Innovation forum led by IUCN, GIZ and partners expected to be launched later in 2024. This initiative is designed to foster knowledge exchange by providing a platform where scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators can share insights on the Blue Economy and technological advancements. It will emphasize the identification of key workstreams, and project groups focused on specific Blue Economy and technology topics within the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. Additionally, the innovation forum aims to promote sustainable and scalable innovations that responsibly utilize and conserve ocean resources. This initiative will also support the Ocean Innovation Africa 2025 conference and is scheduled to launch in Tanzania in 2025.