Pukyong National University

PKNU imparts know-how on seaweed farming to female fishers in Tanzania

- selected for KOICA ODA project, participating in education and technology transfer

An official development assistance (ODA) project that supports the improvement of the economic power and human rights of local women engaged in fishing in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa, is attracting attention.

Pukyong National University (President Jang Young-Soo) has been selected as the implementing agency for the 'PMC project to build a value chain for female fishers and marine fisheries in Zanzibar, Tanzania'(Park Won-Gyu, the chief research professor), supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

This ODA project is hosted by the international graduate program of fisheries science in Pukyong National University graduate school of global fisheries and will receive a total of 3.9 billion won over four years from this month to December 2027 to transfer advanced technologies and know-how in the field of seaweed farming, one of Korea's representative marine-related projects.

Aquaculture in the island Zanzibar is focused on the production of seaweeds such as Eucheuma cottonii and spinosum, and 80% of seaweed producers are women. In Zanzibar, where most of the residents are Muslims, women are restricted from economic activities, but economic activities in the aquaculture sector are an exception.

Most of Zanzibar's seaweed is exported overseas, but aquaculture facilities are small and seaweed production has recently decreased, leading to a decline in profits for Zanzibar's female fishers.

The team of professor Park Won-Gyu at Pukyong National University plans to visit Zanzibar regularly during the project participation period to pass on know-how about Korea's seaweed farming and provide education for female fishers, transfer of aquaculture technology, and advice on drying and fish farm construction. In addition to supporting exports, the team will also provide support for developing the domestic market.

The team has the goal of building a value chain spanning all stages of production, processing, and distribution in the aquaculture industry, including creating additional income by passing on not only seaweed but also sea cucumber farming technology. If the project is successful, it is expected to increase the price competitiveness of Zanzibar's seaweed, increase the income and economic capabilities of female fishers, and lead to an improvement in the social status of women.

This project was developed by Mr. Ali Rashid Hamad, a public official from the ministry of blue economy and fisheries in Zanzibar, Tanzania, while completing the international graduate program of fisheries science and the advanced education of invitational training workshop for graduates at Pukyong National University from 2017 to 2018, and is evaluated as a project that successfully utilizes the human network between Korea and Tanzania. <Pukyong Today>