Impacts of salt extraction on selected mangrove forests along the coast of Tanzania

Mangroves are valuable resources which provide foods and services to humans. The current mangrove stands in most parts of Tanzania coastal areas are threatened by a number of factors predominantly, the influence of anthropogenic activities including salt harvesting, timber production, prawn farming and fishing which collectively contribute to their substantial loss. This study was carried out in Kunduchi-Mtongani (146 acres) in Dar es Salaam Region, Mapinga (1,512 acres) and Sadani (3,236 acres) in Coastal Region to assess the impact of salt extraction on the stocking rate of mangrove forests. Both purposive and random sampling techniques were employed to select respondents whose sample size was 50 and utilized interviews, questionnaires and literature reviews for data collection. Satellite images of 1986, 2001 and 2016 were analyzed and interpreted to realize the degree of mangroves stands loss in the study sites. It was revealed that a total number of 212,722, 1,437,307 and 4,757,920 of mangrove trees had been cleared in Kunduchi, Mapinga and Sadani study sites respectively. The study also revealed a significant increase in area under salt extraction. The salt extraction area has increased by 883 % from 123 ha to 1,208 ha in Sadani, Kunduchi by 479% from 9 ha to 52 ha and Mapinga by 1769% from 26 ha to 487 ha at the expense of the mangrove forest stands. Construction of salt pans outside mangroves growing areas, increase the level of awareness on the ecological importance to the salt pan workers and adapting participatory mangroves community management is a sound approach that can be employed to safeguard the existence of the mangroves.