{"id":949,"date":"2026-08-29T20:40:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T20:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/29\/unicorn778-a-sea-cucumber-venture-in-zanzibar-seeks-to-balance-business-and-conservation-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T20:40:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T20:40:58","slug":"unicorn778-a-sea-cucumber-venture-in-zanzibar-seeks-to-balance-business-and-conservation-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/29\/unicorn778-a-sea-cucumber-venture-in-zanzibar-seeks-to-balance-business-and-conservation-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 A sea cucumber venture in Zanzibar seeks to balance business and conservation Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-327729\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>For decades, conservationists have argued that protecting nature cannot rely indefinitely on donor funding. To endure, conservation efforts must generate enough economic value to sustain themselves.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>That search for sustainable financing has prompted governments, investors and conservation organizations to experiment with models that seek to align commercial returns with environmental protection.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>On Tanzania\u2019s Pemba Island, a company called Asili is betting that sea cucumber ranching can do both. The venture is building the infrastructure needed to cultivate and process sea cucumbers for sale while supporting the restoration and protection of marine ecosystems.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Yet, significant questions remain. Can enough sea cucumbers be produced to make the business commercially viable? Can profits be shared equitably with local communities? And can a model built around conservation and commerce truly deliver on both promises?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>PEMBA, Tanzania \u2014 Like many coastal communities across East Africa, the residents of Shamiani have grown accustomed to watching the sea yield less and less. Warming waters, degraded marine habitats and decades of fishing pressure have all taken a toll on the resources that once sustained local livelihoods, according to community members.<\/p>\n<p>On Tanzania\u2019s Pemba Island, a part of the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, Shamiani is no exception. Here, however, residents are trying something different. Ropes now mark out protected sections of shallow seagrass meadows, the result of months of community meetings and negotiations over how the area should be managed.<\/p>\n<p>For generations, the island\u2019s coastal waters have supported fishing families. But in recent years, many residents say nearshore resources have steadily declined. Sea cucumbers, once abundant enough to be harvested and processed locally, have become increasingly scarce. Fishers and gleaners now work harder for smaller returns, trying to make a living from coastal waters that many say are less productive than they once were.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_327731\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-327731\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131248\/001-20260623_094129.jpg\" alt=\"A view of the no-take zone operated by Asili in Shamiani, on Pemba Island, where protected sections of shallow seagrass meadows are used to grow sea cucumbers. The area was established following months of community meetings and negotiations over its management. Image by David Akana\/Mongabay.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131248\/001-20260623_094129.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131248\/001-20260623_094129-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131248\/001-20260623_094129-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131248\/001-20260623_094129-1200x676.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131248\/001-20260623_094129-1800x1012.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131248\/001-20260623_094129-610x343.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the no-take zone operated by Asili in Shamiani, on Pemba Island, where protected sections of shallow seagrass meadows are used to grow sea cucumbers. The area was established following months of community meetings and negotiations over its management. Image by David Akana\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That decline is what led <a href=\"https:\/\/asili.company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Asili<\/a>, a Tanzania-based aquaculture company working with communities in Pemba since 2022 to ranch sea cucumbers inside locally protected marine areas. The model aims to restore depleted coastal ecosystems, generate income from a high-value export product, and return a share of expected profits to the communities that give up access to part of their fishing grounds, according to co-founder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/authwall?trk=bf&amp;trkInfo=AQECaEo_c_DY9AAAAaBIgX2oizSXjmWjJWHp9kCIEYJNzGzD0_OfvvO81JR60C0TF4QcelTljxnhcXSKBDHCMlhOMFs3Mj7Bk-k81Dixin_3LsqbWcVS9wzXQeWfB1O1cnNiTLs=&amp;original_referer=&amp;sessionRedirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fasilicompany\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Tim Kluckow<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis didn\u2019t happen quickly. This has been a process of many, many, many hours of discussions with the community \u2013 discussing what it means when the area will be closed, what the incomes that will be generated in the beginning, what the revenues, how they will be shared,\u201d Kluckow told Mongabay during a recent visit to the island.<\/p>\n<p>At the center of the model is the idea that if communities help protect coastal habitat, and if sea cucumber ranching succeeds, conservation becomes something that can put money into people\u2019s pockets.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_327732\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-327732 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131541\/002-20260623_112435.jpg\" alt=\"Young men in Shamiani help build infrastructure for Asili\u2019s sea cucumber farming project. About 300 of the village\u2019s roughly 900 residents are involved in the initiative, including Sharif Tano Sharif, right, pictured in green. \u201cBased on what we are seeing, we think it's going to bring a lot of benefits and profit,\u201d he told Mongabay. Image by David Akana\/Mongabay.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131541\/002-20260623_112435.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131541\/002-20260623_112435-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131541\/002-20260623_112435-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131541\/002-20260623_112435-1200x676.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131541\/002-20260623_112435-1800x1012.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28131541\/002-20260623_112435-610x343.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Young men in Shamiani help build infrastructure for Asili\u2019s sea cucumber ranching project. About 300 of the village\u2019s roughly 900 residents are involved in the initiative, including Sharif Tano Sharif, right, pictured in green. \u201cBased on what we are seeing, we think it\u2019s going to bring a lot of benefits and profit,\u201d he told Mongabay. Image by David Akana\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>A luxury species and a local shortage<\/h2>\n<p>Sea cucumbers globally <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/short-article\/2025\/06\/tanzanias-mafia-island-eyes-sea-cucumber-farming-to-prevent-extinction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">are among the ocean\u2019s most valuable marine products<\/a>. In East and Southeast Asia, especially China, they are prized as luxury food and believed to have medicinal properties. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/4\/i1384e\/i1384e00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">has warned<\/a> that heavy global demand has contributed to the overexploitation of many wild populations, fueling interest in mariculture (a specialized branch of aquaculture involving the farming and harvesting of marine plants and animals \u2014 such as fish, shellfish and seaweed \u2014 in saltwater environments, including coastal waters, the open ocean and saltwater ponds) as a possible alternative.<\/p>\n<p>The species has long held an elite status in Asian markets, Asili co-founder Alexandra Garcin told Mongabay. \u201cIt became a real treat,\u201d she added, tracing its history in Chinese cuisine and medicine. \u201cIt\u2019s part of the four sacred products of Chinese cuisine with shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber and bird\u2019s nest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The business of sea cucumbers depends on that demand. Garcin said the price for freshly harvested sea cucumber can reach $70 to $80 per kilogram at the beach, while direct export to wholesalers could push prices higher. Over time, she said, the company wants to target not only food markets in Asia but also the growing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grandviewresearch.com\/industry-analysis\/nutraceuticals-market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">market for nutraceuticals<\/a>, where sea cucumber is processed into powders and pills.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_327733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-327733 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28132134\/003-20260623_103855.jpg\" alt=\"A floating security hut provides a monitoring point for the sea cucumber farming area in Shamiani, Pemba Island. Image by David Akana\/Mongabay.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28132134\/003-20260623_103855.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28132134\/003-20260623_103855-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28132134\/003-20260623_103855-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28132134\/003-20260623_103855-1200x676.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28132134\/003-20260623_103855-1800x1012.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28132134\/003-20260623_103855-610x343.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A floating security hut provides a monitoring point for the sea cucumber ranching area in Shamiani, Pemba Island. Image by David Akana\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mongabay spoke with Jennifer Howard of the international NGO Conservation International, who is familiar with Asili\u2019s business model. Howard says the high value of sea cucumbers in export markets offers communities an opportunity to generate significant income, but cautions against becoming overly dependent on a single commodity. \u201cIf it becomes the dominant livelihood, communities are exposed to variations in pricing and various market dynamics,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2025\/05\/down-on-the-ranch-with-mafia-islands-free-range-sea-cucumbers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Previous Mongabay reporting<\/a> from Tanzania\u2019s Mafia Island found that between 2012 and 2019, Tanzania accounted for just under 500,000 kilograms (1.1 million pounds) of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.traffic.org\/site\/assets\/files\/13496\/sea-cucumbers-trade-vfinal.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">more than 3 million kilograms<\/a> (6.6 million pounds) of dried sea cucumber exported from East Africa to Hong Kong alone.<\/p>\n<p>At the ecological level, the species matters for another reason. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/science-nature\/welcome-to-the-weird-and-wondrous-world-of-sea-cucumbers-180986534\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Sea cucumbers are often described by marine scientists<\/a> as important ecosystem engineers: They recycle nutrients, help oxygenate sediments and support the health of surrounding habitats. Without them (sea cucumbers), the seabed can become the equivalent of soil without earthworms, Garcin told Mongabay.<\/p>\n<p>That ecological logic is part of why the project links farming to no-take or low-take areas. \u201cFor our model to be a success, we need to protect vast areas,\u201d Garcin said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_327737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-327737\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133047\/004-20260623_124237-1.jpg\" alt=\"Asili co-founders Tim Kluckow, left, and Alexandra Garcin aboard a boat during Mongabay\u2019s visit to Shamiani, Pemba Island, in late June 2026. Image by David Akana\/Mongabay.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133047\/004-20260623_124237-1.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133047\/004-20260623_124237-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133047\/004-20260623_124237-1-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133047\/004-20260623_124237-1-1200x676.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133047\/004-20260623_124237-1-1800x1012.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133047\/004-20260623_124237-1-610x343.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Asili co-founders Tim Kluckow, left, and Alexandra Garcin aboard a boat during Mongabay\u2019s visit to Shamiani, Pemba Island, in late June 2026. Image by David Akana\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>A community business, or a risky promise?<\/h2>\n<p>In Shamiani, the project is being built around a cooperative model rather than individual ownership. According to Asili, about 300 people in a village of roughly 900 adults have signed up to participate. Much of the work so far \u2014 clearing paths, setting up patrol and monitoring systems, and preparing protected zones \u2014 has been done by local residents, many of them women and youths.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking through an interpreter, Sharif Tano Sharif, a young man from Shamiani, said the project has generated considerable optimism among participating residents. \u201cBased on what we are seeing, we think it\u2019s going to bring a lot of benefits and profit,\u201d he told Mongabay.<\/p>\n<p>That sentiment was echoed by several other young people interviewed in the village. Like Sharif, Ali Juma Ali, Ngana Hamza Juma and Khamis Juma Ali are participating in the initiative, helping to build monitoring infrastructure, joining community patrols and supporting efforts to protect the designated sea cucumber ranching areas.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Mongabay in a group interview through an interpreter, they described the potential they see in the initiative and their hopes that it could provide new livelihood opportunities for people in Shamiani.<\/p>\n<p>Kluckow said the company is trying to avoid what he sees as a pattern that has played out elsewhere in coastal aquaculture projects, which is privatizing a shared marine resource and leaving most of the community out. \u201cWe are building a ground-up equity-based model, where we are continually useful to the communities that we partner with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Under the arrangement described by the company, future harvest profits would be split so that 50% returns to the community side and 50% remains with the company side to sustain operations and growth. Of the community share, Kluckow said half would go directly to those doing the work, while the other half would be set aside for a broader community fund to support needs such as schooling, water or livelihood development.<\/p>\n<p>That structure is meant to answer a hard question: How do you close off part of a communal fishing area without reproducing inequality?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_327738\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-327738\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133301\/005-Mpogo1-2-1200x800-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sea cucumbers are harvested beyond Pemba Island in Tanzania. Here, a sea cucumber rancher displays part of his harvest from a ranch on Mafia Island. Image by Ashoka Mukpo\/Mongabay.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133301\/005-Mpogo1-2-1200x800-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133301\/005-Mpogo1-2-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133301\/005-Mpogo1-2-1200x800-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133301\/005-Mpogo1-2-1200x800-1-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sea cucumbers are harvested beyond Pemba Island in Tanzania. Here, a sea cucumber rancher displays part of his harvest from a ranch on Mafia Island. Image by Ashoka Mukpo\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWhen communities co-own decisions, equity, and profit flows, they have a direct stake in keeping ecosystems healthy and the business viable, which typically increases long-term conservation compliance and reduces conflict and project abandonment over time,\u201d Howard said.<\/p>\n<p>Kluckow said the model was shaped partly by lessons the Asili founders learnt from their work in Madagascar, where earlier forms of sea cucumber aquaculture benefited some farmers but did little for the wider village. \u201cWhat we saw is that after two years of making an income, the water situation wasn\u2019t better; the healthcare situation wasn\u2019t better; the school wasn\u2019t better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the model carries real risks. The first is commercial: The farm is not yet generating revenue, and sea cucumbers take roughly a year to a year and a half to reach marketable size. The hatchery, which produces juveniles for stocking, is central to the whole enterprise. Without it, Garcin said, \u201cnone of this is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The second is social and political. The company\u2019s agreement with the community is still evolving, and Kluckow acknowledged that the model depends heavily on local consent continuing over time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re taking a big bet, absolutely,\u201d he said, arguing that stronger legal control by the company would defeat the point. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to get into any agreement or any formal document that would mean that we are taking power out of the hands of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is also the question of who controls community benefits once money starts to flow. Kluckow said payments tied directly to labor are easier to track, but broader community funds are more vulnerable to elite capture. The company says it is trying to create a wider decision-making framework so funds are not simply handed over as unrestricted cash.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_327739\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-327739\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133422\/006-Mpogo1-8-1536x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sea cucumbers being sorted off the coast of Tanzania\u2019s Mafia Island. Image by Ashoka Mukpo for Mongabay.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133422\/006-Mpogo1-8-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133422\/006-Mpogo1-8-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133422\/006-Mpogo1-8-1536x1024-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133422\/006-Mpogo1-8-1536x1024-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/28133422\/006-Mpogo1-8-1536x1024-1-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sea cucumbers being sorted off the coast of Tanzania\u2019s Mafia Island. Image by Ashoka Mukpo for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Women, work and a longer horizon<\/h2>\n<p>One of the most visible parts of the model is who is doing the work. In Shamiani, women are expected to take the lead in daytime monitoring, control and surveillance shifts at a new watchtower under construction near the shore. Men are expected to cover night shifts.<\/p>\n<p>During the day, women will also help monitor seagrass and ecosystem conditions, and later assist with harvest and processing.<\/p>\n<p>For Kluckow, that matters because the local economy has narrowed sharply. In some places, he said, one of the few remaining income opportunities for women is collecting cowries, a type of marine sea snail, for very small returns. \u201cWe\u2019re fishing down the food chain, fishing down the value chain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The early phase of the project is being financed by outside support. Kluckow said most of the money so far has gone into community infrastructure and wages, while Garcin said current support has come through conservation-linked partners, with additional financing being pursued for expansion. Kluckow said neighboring communities have already expressed interest, and the company hopes eventually to work with at least 30 communities; each with 30 to 60 hectares (74 to 148 acres) of production zone.<\/p>\n<p>If the first sea cucumber model works, Garcin said, Asili may later explore other species, including seahorses, oysters and possibly seaweed. She stressed sea cucumbers come first, because they offer the clearest commercial path.<\/p>\n<p>However, that future remains uncertain. Whether the model succeeds will depend on several factors: Producing enough sea cucumbers, maintaining community support and finding reliable markets for the final product.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople here are not supposed to be beneficiaries of a project,\u201d Garcin said. \u201cFor this to be sustainable, they need to be considered as actors and enablers and business partners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> Sea cucumbers are harvested beyond Pemba Island in Tanzania. Here, a sea cucumber rancher displays part of his harvest from a ranch on Mafia Island. Image by Ashoka Mukpo\/Mongabay.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"tnwW3pnadL\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/short-article\/tanzanias-mafia-island-eyes-sea-cucumber-farming-to-prevent-extinction\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Tanzania\u2019s Mafia Island eyes sea cucumber farming to prevent extinction<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u00ab\u00a0Tanzania\u2019s Mafia Island eyes sea cucumber farming to prevent extinction\u00a0\u00bb \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/short-article\/tanzanias-mafia-island-eyes-sea-cucumber-farming-to-prevent-extinction\/embed\/#?secret=uOs7KNLiWP#?secret=tnwW3pnadL\" data-secret=\"tnwW3pnadL\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"alsUXKvg5V\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2025\/05\/down-on-the-ranch-with-mafia-islands-free-range-sea-cucumbers\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Down on the ranch with Mafia Island\u2019s free-range sea cucumbers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u00ab\u00a0Down on the ranch with Mafia Island\u2019s free-range sea cucumbers\u00a0\u00bb \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2025\/05\/down-on-the-ranch-with-mafia-islands-free-range-sea-cucumbers\/embed\/#?secret=BDI4B6VBst#?secret=alsUXKvg5V\" data-secret=\"alsUXKvg5V\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Feedback:<\/strong> Use <a href=\"https:\/\/eu.jotform.com\/91615182854158\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">this form<\/a> to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div id=\"cite-article\" class=\"align-left banner bg-brand-color crossref-doi outlined ph--16 pv--16\">\n<h2>Cite this article<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"crossref-doi\">David Akana (2026). A sea cucumber venture in Zanzibar seeks to balance business and conservation. Mongabay Conservation news. DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-327729\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-327729<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3211d4774d10f7666706bf3cb7d62273164be601bb3f25c6c357b112f0e5ddb3?s=32&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3211d4774d10f7666706bf3cb7d62273164be601bb3f25c6c357b112f0e5ddb3?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; For decades, conservationists have argued that protecting nature cannot rely indefinitely on donor funding&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2488,12,2489,803,2484,14,9,11,250,2487,13,10,2,2485,2486],"class_list":["post-949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-balance","tag-bermain","tag-business","tag-conservation","tag-cucumber","tag-online","tag-peluang","tag-saat","tag-sea","tag-seeks","tag-slot","tag-terburuk","tag-unicorn778","tag-venture","tag-zanzibar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}