In Tanzania, marine protected areas benefit the local economy
Aimed at reconciling local economic activity with biodiversity, multiple-use marine protected areas remain understudied. In Tanzania, research shows that the standard of living for residents of villages located near or within MPAs has doubled compared to those in more remote areas.
Antoine Leblois, INRAE; Julia Girard, University of Montpellier and Sébastien Desbureaux, University of Montpellier
In the face of the alarming decline in marine biodiversity, multiple-use marine protected areas (MPAs) seek to balance nature conservation with economic development.
Although these areas permit certain human activities, they sometimes impose strict regulations to reduce the impact of fishing,aquaculture, shipping, and other sectors on marine ecosystems. Their actual effects, both on the environment and on local communities, remain a subject of debate and have not been sufficiently studied.
Recent research conducted in Tanzania sheds light on the long-term socioeconomic impacts of MPAs. It highlights the significant benefits for local communities while also pointing out the ongoing challenges to biodiversity conservation.
Marine Protected Areas: Underestimated
Marine biodiversity, which is in a state of constant decline, is essential to the proper functioning of the oceans and their ability to regenerate. This decline has direct repercussions on the ecosystem services on which human populations depend, making it imperative to adopt sustainable policies that benefit both people and nature.
Among these policies, marine protected areas (MPAs) are zones that allow certain economic activities, including fishing, while imposing stricter regulations than those in effect outside these areas.
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These restrictions, particularly those on fishing, often give rise to concerns that hinder the establishment of these zones. However, there is no solid evidence of negative effects on the surrounding economy. Existing studies, which are generally very localized and based on short time series, offer only a fragmented view of their actual impacts.
It is, however, essential to document these impacts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Tanzania, given the significant challenges involved in balancing conservation goals with economic development imperatives, which are often perceived as conflicting.
Combating the decline in marine biodiversity
The coasts of the western Indian Ocean, particularly those of Tanzania, clearly illustrate the challenges facing marine resource management. These ecosystems are under increasing pressure due, among other factors, to overfishing and climate change.
Since the 1980s, fish stocks have declined dramatically due to overfishing by local and international fishing fleets, affecting the 4.2 million Tanzanians who depend on fishing for their livelihoods. To address this crisis, marine conservation initiatives emerged as early as the 1970s and expanded in the 1990s.
Among these initiatives is the creation of marine protected areas, which now incorporate socioeconomic activities such as beekeeping, agriculture, and aquaculture alongside conservation efforts.
What are the long-term effects?
An interdisciplinary group of international researchers—including marine ecologists, geographers, fisheries specialists, and economists—recently published a study based on highly detailed economic data, which examines the long-term effects of MPAs.
This research follows up on a study conducted in 2003, which found that MPA effects in Tanzania were very limited 3 to 8 years after their establishment. Two decades later, researchers reexamined the initial data and replicated the survey protocol in 24 villages located along the Tanzanian coast, at varying distances from the MPAs. In each village, approximately 30 households were interviewed to characterize and assess their economic activities and standard of living.
Using a statistical analysis method that involves constructing a comparable sample of units (in this case, villages) that did not benefit from the intervention (in this case, the implementation of protection measures, i.e., AMP), this new study contributes to the existing literature by analyzing effects over a longer time horizon than those typically documented, and draws robust conclusions.
A 50% increase in the standard of living
The study’s findings show a significant improvement in the standard of living of communities living near MPAs, which is 50% higher than in more remote villages. These economic benefits extend to all residents, regardless of their income level.
Interestingly, this increase is not directly linked to higher fish catches but rather to a diversification of economic activities, particularly toward jobs in the secondary and tertiary sectors, such as nature-based tourism. These findings challenge the assumption that the economic prosperity of local communities depends on thriving marine biodiversity.
However, the sustainability of these benefits remains uncertain. The ongoing degradation of marine ecosystems could, in the long run, harm the entire tourism sector, triggering a cascade of negative effects on the local economy. To avoid this scenario, it is crucial to strengthen the protection of ecosystems within MPAs.
Strengthening biodiversity protection
Given that catch data provide a good estimate of ecosystem health, ecosystem function, and the presence of marine biomass, it appears that marine protected areas have not led to an increase in these factors. Changes in catch per unit of effort between 2003 and 2021 do not, in fact, indicate any improvement in the state of the resource within protected areas.
Investing in biodiversity conservation could therefore prove to be a sound economic decision. The additional costs associated with stricter protection of flora and fauna are likely minimal compared to the long-term economic benefits that healthy marine ecosystems could generate. By addressing funding gaps and strengthening enforcement, MPAs would play a central role in creating a sustainable and prosperous economy.
Aleksandra Barczak, a research engineer at INRAE, contributed to this article.
Antoine Leblois, Research Fellow, Environmental and Development Economics, INRAE; Julia Girard, PhD candidate at the University of Montpellier, University of Montpellier and Sébastien Desbureaux, Researcher, University of Montpellier
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