Although recent in Zanzibar, pearl farming illustrates how scientific research can support projects that are both ecological and economically viable.

In 2006, Maria Haws (University of Hawaii) and Narriman Jiddawi (Institute of Marine Science – IMS) introduced women’s groups from the Fumba Peninsula to pearl farming techniques.

The Sustainable Coastal Communities and Ecosystems Project, funded by USAID, enabled the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), IMS, and their partners to work with women’s groups in four villages near Menai Bay to promote half-pearl (mabé) culture.

Before this project, these women cultivated seaweed, worked the land, or collected shellfish for an average monthly income of only USD 40–50, requiring 5 to 7 days of work per week.

Promising Initial Results

In January 2007, an experimental batch of 94 Pteria penguin oysters was grafted to produce half-pearls. Each oyster received two to three hemispherical nuclei before being placed in pouches suspended from a raft at a depth of four meters, near Bweleo.

After one year, the operation yielded 28 high-quality half-pearls. Several were sold at auction during a gala dinner organized in February at the Palace Museum. This event, co-organized by WIOMSA and IMS and hosted by N. Jiddawi and A. Mmochi (IMS), was inaugurated by the Minister of Women’s Affairs and Youth, Asha Abdulla, and raised USD 3,600.

Toward Tourist Commercialization

Some of the remaining pearls were set in silver or gold and will be offered for sale to the 100,000 tourists visiting Zanzibar each year, paving the way for a new and sustainable source of income for local communities.