Countries around the world are increasingly becoming aware of the need to protect and especially to manage the coastal and marine resources. In Tanzania, the government’s commitment is both state sponsored and through bilateral agreements with international donor agencies that advocate sustainable development through sustainable management of natural resources. To fulfil this commitment, a number of initiatives have been commissioned in Tanzania over the last couple of decades. One of these initiatives is exemplified by the Blueprint 2050 which substantially reviewed and drew a road map of management of coastal and marine resources for the present and the coming couple of decades. The Marine and Coastal Environment Management Project (MACEMP) was crafted as one of the various efforts to realizing this vision. This comprehensive project aimed at strengthening the sustainable management and use of coastal and marine resources in the territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The objectives of MACEMP was to enhance revenue collection, reduced threats to the environment, better livelihood for coastal communities and improved institutional arrangements for effective management of Marine Managed Areas (MMAs) in the country. MACEMP extended its support to the legal and institutional structures so that effective management of MMAs is realized through establishing a supported comprehensive system of MMAs in the territorial sea built on Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) strategy that empowers and benefits coastal communities.