SAVING THE GREEN LAGOON
Off the east coast of the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar runs a rocky reef, behind which lies a sheltered lagoon filled with gardens of coral and fields of seagrass. It is a perfect nursery for young fish and octopus, which have thrived here in the past, and it provides an income for thousands of fishermen and octopus hunters from coastal villages. But in recent years, a combination of overfishing and a severe El Nino have dramatically reduced fish numbers and killed off a large amount of coral.
In response, a part of the local community has turned to aquaculture as a way of preserving the lagoon for future generations, planting seaweed, corals and sponges which they periodically harvest and sell for various uses. But in a place where poverty is rife, others feel they have no option but to continue exploiting what the reef has to offer. With local villages torn between the need to earn a living and the need to preserve the ecosystem, the fate of the green lagoon hangs in the balance.
Off the east coast of the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar runs a rocky reef, behind which lies a sheltered lagoon filled with gardens of coral and fields of seagrass. It is a perfect nursery for young fish and octopus, which have thrived here in the past, and it provides an income for thousands of fishermen and octopus hunters from coastal villages. But in recent years, a combination of overfishing and a severe El Nino have dramatically reduced fish numbers and killed off a large amount of coral.
In response, a part of the local community has turned to aquaculture as a way of preserving the lagoon for future generations, planting seaweed, corals and sponges which they periodically harvest and sell for various uses. But in a place where poverty is rife, others feel they have no option but to continue exploiting what the reef has to offer. With local villages torn between the need to earn a living and the need to preserve the ecosystem, the fate of the green lagoon hangs in the balance.