Private Sector Management of Marine Protected Areas: The Chumbe Island Case

The number of privately managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is small but increasing. Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP), established in 1991 and possibly the first fully functioning MPA in Tanzania, provides an interesting illustration of issues that arise with the instalment of a privately created and managed protected area. Challenges caused by the legal and institutional environment for private investment in conservation resulted in much higher costs than originally anticipated. The history of CHICOP, management experiences, problems and achievements in the legal and institutional environment of Zanzibar, Tanzania are described and lessons learned are summarised. Management costs of the privately established and managed park are only a fraction of what is normally needed for donor-funded projects through government agencies. Out of necessity, income-generating activities are more developed and successful, thus creating much better prospects of sustainability. Risks for private investors remain high though due to the generally unfavourable investment climate, the volatile tourism market and the lack of long-term security of tenure. Because of these risks, and the more noticeable conservation impact on the ground, a case is made for more donor support to direct resource users from both the informal and formal private sectors, including to privately managed marine protected areas.