The women of Jambiani village in Zanzibar are developing sea sponge farming, a lucrative activity that also helps protect the marine environment. Sponges can sell for up to $30 each and promote the restoration of coral reefs.
Every morning, women dressed in long, flowing robes wade through the shallow turquoise waters of Zanzibar, Tanzania, tending to their sea sponge farms—a vital new source of income after climate change disrupted their traditional livelihoods.
Rising ocean temperatures, overfishing, and pollution have gradually degraded marine ecosystems, particularly affecting seaweed farming, which was once essential to the women of Jambiani, located in the Tanzanian archipelago.
Now, they are turning to sea sponge farming through a project implemented by the Swiss NGO Marine Cultures.
Seaweed Decline
“High temperatures decimated the seaweed, and declining fish stocks led many fishers to abandon their work,” explains Ali Mahmudi, project leader.
Sponges, which provide shelter and food for marine creatures, generally thrive in warmer waters. They are also profitable as organic skincare products, used for exfoliation. From the shore, black sticks emerge from the water with rows of hanging sponges.
“I was amazed to learn that sponges exist in the ocean,” says Nasiri Hassan Haji, 53, who discovered the practice over ten years ago. A mother of four, she formerly farmed seaweed, a task she describes as hard and poorly paid.
In 2009, Marine Cultures launched a pilot farm with widows in Jambiani to test the potential of sponge farming in the archipelago, where over a quarter of the 1.9 million inhabitants live below the poverty line.
With growing demand for eco-friendly products, the natural sponge market has steadily expanded, proving profitable. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated its value at $20 million in 2020.
Coral Reef Restoration
Depending on size, sponges can sell for up to $30 each, and a single farm may contain up to 1,500 sponges.
“This has changed my life. I was able to build my own house,” beams Shemsa Abbasi Suleiman, 53. Many other women have joined a cooperative to grow the project, though it was not without challenges.
“At first, I was afraid to start because I couldn’t swim. Many discouraged me, saying I would drown,” recalls Ms. Haji. Through an NGO program, she learned to swim at age 39.
Beyond generating income for local communities, sea sponges benefit the marine environment by providing habitat and promoting the restoration of coral reefs.
Studies show that their skeletal structure promotes carbon capture within coral reef ecosystems, while their porous bodies naturally filter and purify seawater.
According to the United Nations, “the ocean is in deep crisis”, with approximately 60% of global marine ecosystems degraded or exploited unsustainably.
Sponges also contribute to coral reef restoration, which shelter 25% of marine life and are currently under threat.
“What captivated me is that we are not harming the environment,” adds Ms. Haji.
Source: france24
