New dock to facilitate Bagamoyo-Zanzibar direct trips

Bagamoyo. The Bagamoyo Port in Coast Region is set to add a new dock that will facilitate the docking of modern boats that will offer direct trips to Zanzibar.

The move will most likely reduce inconveniences that tourists and ordinary citizens have been facing, especially when being forced to travel via the country’s business capital, Dar es Salaam, from and to the Spice Islands.

This was revealed on Friday, July 12, 2024, at the launch of the Marine Resources Conservation and Development Project in Bagamoyo District.

The event was jointly organised and coordinated by the Bagamoyo Non-Governmental Organisations’ Network (Bangonet) and Bagamoyo District Council.

Speaking at the launch, Bagamoyo District Executive Director, Shauri Selenda, said preliminary preparations, including environmental assessments, have already been conducted.

However, he said the ministry of Transport had not yet set the formal date for the project’s commencement.

“The project is set to begin in the next few months. We hope that the conclusion of this project will boost tourism and the local economy.

“This is because both tourists and ordinary citizens travelling between the two places will no longer have to travel via Dar es Salaam to catch ferries and instead they will leave from Bagamoyo to Zanzibar directly and vice versa,” he said.

Councillor Amir Mpwimbwi of Dunda Ward, where the port is located, said they had proposed a design for the jetty that would have three sections.

"The jetty will include cargo, fishing, and passenger sections and will be 500 metres deep in an overall area of 400 metres," he said.

The Bangonet’s conservation and development of marine resources project aims at preserving the ocean for the benefit of the residents.

Mr Selenda confirmed that the government was collaborating with local groups in the implementation of various projects, including seaweed farming and sea cucumber aquaculture.

The project coordinator, Mr Leonard Bankuwia, said the project’s primary objectives were to empower coastal communities to conserve, manage, and develop marine resources, hence increasing national income.

"To successfully implement this project, we will establish by-laws for the conservation, management, and development of marine resources through Bagamoyo and Chalinze district councils.

“In collaboration with these councils, Bangonet will formulate a five-year strategy for marine resource conservation, management, and development," said Mr Bankuwia, who doubles as Bangonet's executive secretary.

According to him, the strategy includes seeking and building relationships with countries that have succeeded in marine resource management, and utilising local Beach Management Units (BMUs) for learning and capacity building.