With much interest we have read your well informed issue No. 54 but one note on page 19 needs correction. While we welcome and appreciate any progress made by the Mafia Island Marine Park Project (which enjoys a lot of donor support!) we would like to inform your readers that the Chumbe Reef Sanctuary in Zanzibar was finally gazetted as such on December 24 1994 and has thus become Tanzania’s first marine park.

Our project unfortunately receives little publicity through the government and donor community as it is based on a private initiative and is still to a large extent funded privately. Though our work is non-commercial, CHICOP had to be registered as a Ltd. company as there existed no legal base for NGO’s in Zanzibar before the end of 1995. We now try to get much needed donor support but may be affected by most donors1 reluctance to get involved in Zanzibar at this stage.

Visitors are welcome on Chumbe island to enjoy the nature trails in the forest, climb up the historical lighthouse built by the British in 1904 and, above all, snorkel in one of the most amazing and well preserved reefs in East Africa! Sibylle Riemiller (Managing Director)
CHICOP. P 0 Box 3203. Zanzibar.