Initial Research and its Implications

The first major study on development of the fishery industry was conducted in Zanzibar by Dr. Cecil von Bonde in 1928. He examined different methods used for fishing, processing and marketing in the marine fishery industry in Zanzibar in order to understand local fishing methods and techniques so as to suggest ways of improvement.

Furthermore, the study was geared towards advancing the industry to commercial fishery, and to improve yet maintain the prevailed fishing methods. Another aim was to

310 Cecil von Bonde, "Report on a Preliminary Survey of the Marine Fisheries of the Zanzibar Protectorate" (Zanzibar: The Government Printer, 1929), 4, ZNA/AB 46/23 Zanzibar Fishing Industry:

Fisheries Research Scheme,

311 See for example: Majda Zumer, Natural Resources Researchin East Africa, Stockholm: Swedish Natural Science Research Council, 1971), 12; Narriman S. Jiddawi and Marcus C. Öhman, “Marine Fisheries in Tanzania,” A Journal of the Human Environment, Volume 31, Issue 7, (2002), 519, http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1579/0044-7447-31.7.518 access: June 25, 2013

improve fish curing methods and suggest other possible fish processing techniques for better marketing of fish and fish products.³¹²

Along the same line there emerged an issue of equilibrium of demand and supply of products. Major concern was how to better dispose of expected flood of supply of fish in case of the improved fishing methods. Two viable solutions were offered. The first was to stop imported dried fish (the Sharks - Papa and Kingfish - Nguru) from Aden as well as Arabia and replace with fresh fish from within Zanzibar.

However, it appears that von Bonde was unclear as to why people were eating dried fish before he arrived at the conclusion to replace the dried to fresh fish as far as importation and consumption of dried fish were concerned. He presumed that the local people in Zanzibar only ate dried fish because of the cheaper price, and therefore, the higher supply of fresh fish there would result into lower price, making it easy for people to switch from eating dried fish to fresh fish. Such evidence suggests that there were two groups of dried fish eaters: first, there were those who ate dried fish because it was cheaper than fresh products; and second, other people consumed dried fish for the peculiar taste resulting from the way in which they were processed.

Furthermore, it was suggested that to better utilise the fish resources, the government should open up fish processing industries that would deal with fish as well as fish products and by-products. The industries would ensure effective use of the products that were expected to increase without environmental and economic problems.³¹³

In his report, von Bonde made two contradictory statements. One is that after he visited a Zanzibar market and several fishing centres, he was convinced that supply of fish was sufficient for local demands and an increment in supply would upset the situation. This seems to contradict with the issue of importation of ‘cheap’ dried fish       

312 Cecil von Bonde, "Report on a Preliminary Survey of the Marine Fisheries of the Zanzibar Protectorate" (Zanzibar: The Government Printer, 1929), 2, Zanzibar National Archives Zanzibar National Archives ((hereafter, ZNA))AB 46/23, AB 46/23, Zanzibar Fishing Industry: Fisheries Research Scheme, Cecil von Bonde, "Report on a Preliminary Survey of the Marine Fisheries of the Zanzibar Protectorate" (Zanzibar: The Government Printer, 1929), 2, ((hereafter, AB 46/23, von Bonde report))

313 ZNA/AB46/23 Zanzibar Fishing Industry: Fisheries Research Scheme, Cecil von Bonde, A Preliminary Survey of the Marine Fisheries of Zanzibar

from Arabia. If the idea was to service the poor because of the higher price of fresh fish, as the report seems to suggest, which again would be settled with higher supply of fresh fish, then it shows that fish was in short supply in the area. As von Bonde argued:

…the present is well catered for, so as far as this is concerned, it appears as though an increased activity in fishing would tend to swamp the markets. …a large amount of dried fish is imported principally from Aden and Arabia.

Having had an opportunity to examine these imports, which are chiefly for the consumption of natives, I am convinced of the fact that the dried products are unwholesome for human consumption, and recommend that they should be replaced by fresh fish.³¹⁴

However, this prompts questions of determination of what and how the local community had to consume fish. Who is determining and under what conditions? As one of the impacts of research is to influence policy formulation, in terms of the questions of food consumptions as far as dried fish was concerned, was it a question for a food and nutrition specialist to determine whether the food was ‘suitable for human consumption’ or not? Aside from nutritional value, food is also about cultural standards³¹⁵ and attention to food taste, which is also culturally embedded. Therefore, although the imported dried Shark and Kingfish were cheap in price and mostly preferred by the local poor people, the fish were also popularly consumed by other coastal Swahili communities in Zanzibar. As an elder Swahili woman argued that,

"Papa and Nguru are delicious, easy and quick to prepare with different cooking styles...they need a short time of preparation and thus we preferred the fish due to those qualities."³¹⁶

Quite different opinions regarding food and nutrition versus tastes and preferences were also pointed out by the Director of Agriculture in Zanzibar in 1952. He       

314 ZNA/AB46/23 Zanzibar Fishing Industry: Fisheries Research Scheme, Cecil von Bonde, Ibid., 2 and 3.

315 Melissa Graboyes, "Good Food, Ridiculous Diets, and a Well Fed Swahili: British Approaches to Food in Colonial Zanzibari Institutions," Working Papers in African Studies No. 262 (Boston: African Studies Center – Boston University, 2009), 11-12; See also a correspondence from the Director of Agriculture to Chief Secretary of the Zanzibar Protectorate ZNA/AJ13/2 Medical Department: Nutrition Improvement of Zanzibar Protectorate, Volume III, November 19, 1952

316 Bi. Mwanajuma Ali Salum, intervies with the researcher, Kizimkazi - Zanzibar, April 19, 2012

commented that the "inhabitants of these [Zanzibar] islands are very fussy as regards to the flavour of rice [and other food]..."³¹⁷ Therefore, apart from nutritional values of the food item, one has to bear in mind a number of other factors, such as tests and preference. However, this does not rule out that people paid little consideration to nutritional issues, but rather that the two went together. The Director further reported - albeit without mentioning Shark and Kingfish - that the work of salting and drying of fish had begun and was monitored by the fisheries officer in Zanzibar. That was after an investigation into the local process of fish preservation in the islands.³¹⁸

Colonial research works on marine fisheries failed to achieve their stated goals, and therefore, retarded development as it was stated. The major role of fishery researches during the initial phase of the colonial era was to identify, analyse and document key areas for development of the fishing industry in the country so as to boost the fish catch and proper processing of the products. The researches had to clearly show potential areas and ways to achieve success in implementation of the recommendations.

For instance, this was why a call was made for establishment of commercial or off-shore fisheries and use of powered fishing vessels right from the beginning of the research works during the early period of British colonial administration in Zanzibar. It was also advised that the government should find ways to improve fish processing methods and establish industries that would enable use of fish products and by-products. For example, von Bonde recommended establishment of fertilizer industries in order to better utilise fish by-products. However, it took several years for the government to begin implementing recommendations. It seems that advice concerning the manner to proceed and process the implementation of advised issues was beyond the scope of the study.

317 Correspondence from the Director of Agriculture to Chief Secretary of the Zanzibar Protectorate ZNA/AJ13/2 Medical Department: Nutrition Improvement of Zanzibar Protectorate, Volume III, November 19, 1952

318 Correspondence from the Director of Agriculture to Chief Secretary of the Zanzibar Protectorate ZNA/AJ13/2 Medical Department: Nutrition Improvement of Zanzibar Protectorate, Volume III, November 19, 1952

However, although many colonial officials were hesitant in approving the work³¹⁹ of von Bonde and one may agree with some views that the work was so limited to be used as a baseline for fisheries information in the area, although the work was significant for a number of reasons. First, apart from being the first relatively extensive survey during the colonial era in Zanzibar, the work had been used as a starting point for research on fisheries on East African coast. Indeed, for over nineteen years from its publication in 1929 up to 1951, there was no study of its kind in East Africa.³²⁰ Second, other works that followed, including comments from those who despised the work of von Bonde, proceed along the same line of disinterests in deep sea fisheries research in East Africa with reference to von Bonde’s report. Indeed, reports and fisheries proposals during the colonial period referred to the same work undertaken by Cecil von Bonde in 1928.

4.3 Phase Two: Middle Colonial Period, 1933-1950