Stories featured in the book - Coastal and freshwater resources

Weather change in Zanzibar

Fishermen in many areas are noticing changes in weather patterns.

ALI MAKAME MADAHA, fisherman, Nungwi, Zanzibar

"We have seen changes in the climate here. The rainy season is less defined and more haphazard. Less rain has meant that agricultural production is not as good as before. Even when the rains come they are not as good as before.

In the past there was more of a distinction between cold and hot seasons. Now it is always hot. The season for fishing is less defined. There used to be certain times of the year when you could catch specific species of fish. Now it is hard to tell.

We used to stay close to the shore to fish because there was plenty of fish available there. We used to sell our catch at low prices because money went further in those days. Today we have to go further out to sea to catch fish and everything is more expensive.

The patterns of the winds have also changed. The Northeast monsoons came in October to January, and the Southeast monsoons came in March to August. September to October used to be the period of calm, called “Matilai” when we used to do a lot of fishing.

Although the monsoons are similar today, the patterns are less predictable. For example in the middle of a defined season, a wind will suddenly blow from the opposite direction. We began to notice this change in the 1980s. For us fishermen these unexpected winds mean that during “Matilai” we cannot go out to fish, even though there is a big market for the fish.

There is also an increase in population, which means that people have more family members to support and more mouths to feed.

To solve some of the problems we are facing we need to do alternative livelihood activities so we are less dependent on the natural resources that are being depleted. People are ready to take on environmentally friendly activities if they are available."