Mysterious Disease From Warming Oceans Halting Zanzibar's Seaweed Production
Zanzibar, one of the world’s largest producers of seaweed, is unable to increase production of the sushi covering because of a mystery disease thought to be caused by warming oceans.
The island nation, off the coast of Tanzania, expects to produce 16,000 metric tons of dry seaweed this year, unchanged from last year, Juma Ali Juma, a permanent secretary in Zanzibar’s fisheries ministry, said in a phone interview Aug. 26. The government is targeting output of 20,000 tons by 2020, the Dar es Salaam-based Daily News newspaper reported Aug. 24, citing Zanzibar Agriculture Minister Hamad Rashid Mohammed. Output in 2014 was 13,000 tons, according to the newspaper.
Melissa Doroquez