The visit to sea cucumber cage farms in Bagamoyo by the Curriculum Review Team from the Department of Animal, Aquaculture, and Range Sciences demonstrated to be an engaging and educational experience. The team camping at Bagamoyo district in the Coastal region during the development of the Curricula first drafts for undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the department.
The Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), through the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project aims to review the curricula, develop new curricula, and implement towards transformational and sustainable development of the university. For a DAARS curriculum review team from the College of Agriculture, visiting a sea cucumber cage farms in Bagamoyo is a unique and worthwhile experience in developing aquaculture programs. The team was led by Prof. Said Mbaga (Chairman of the Curricula Development Committee), Prof. Anthony Sangeda (Deputy College principal and Head of Department), Prof. Sebastian Chenyambuga (Professor), Dr. Dawson Maleko (Senior Lecturer), and Dr. Charles Lyimo (Senior Lecturer).
Sea cucumber cage farming has become a lucrative activity in coastal areas, attracting many people due to its high demand. The main methods for culturing sea cucumber include cage farming, pond farming, pen culture, sea ranching, and tank culture. Sea cucumber can also be produced within multitrophic polyculture ponds. SUA aims to address these opportunities by producing highly qualified graduates with knowledge and skills towards sustainable utilization of aquatic resources, proper management, and policy development.
