LAKE Tanganyika’s sardine, sprat and perch fisheries have significant potential to increase earnings to the fishing communities and traders by using better storage facilities and support for more women participation.
That is among the highlights of value chain analysis report of Lake Tanganyika fisheries prepared by FISH4ACP, a programme led by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) under European Union support which was launched in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
The report shows using better processing and cold chain techniques, improved business models with more participation by women and better compliance with fisheries legislation can help to boost value added in the sector by 12 per cent and increase fish processors’ incomes by an average of 42 per cent.
There is significant potential to boost fisheries and aquaculture development to make them more self-sufficient, creating more jobs and preserving biological stock levels. It shows there is great potential to leverage increasing consumer demand and market opportunities in Tanzania to improve sustainability of Lake Tanganyika’s fisheries and bridge the gender gap.
“This report marks an important step towards a blue transformation of fisheries and aquaculture development in Tanzania,” said the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, Prof Riziki Shemdoe who launched the report.
He said the report on value analysis of Lake Tanganyika fisheries was important to know the potential of fishing resources in the lake to increase earnings to fishing communities and traders along the value chain.
“It is also important to know the potential of Lake Tanganyika resources to improve nutrition, income and employment for the youth, women and men,” he said.
Tanzania is Lake Tanganyika’s principal producer of sardine, sprat and perch, accounting for up to 40 per cent of the annual catch derived from artisanal methods.
According to another study by FISH4ACP, the sector provides incomes for 27,000 fishers and 11,000 processors. However, the potential of the Lake Tanganyika fisheries is inhibited by huge post-harvest losses that can reach 70 per cent during the rainy season, due to poor fishing, processing and handling methods.