Tanzania advocates for enhance sustainable fishing
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has called on African and Caribbean countries to take immediate action to enhance sustainable fishing through collaborative efforts to combat illegal fishing and marine pollution.
The country also called for the adoption of modern technologies such as cage farming to ensure prosperity for all.
Speaking at the 8th meeting of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) ministers responsible for Oceans, inland waters and fisheries in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Tanzania’s Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Adalallah Ulega, emphasised the need for actionable strategies across all member countries.
These strategies should guide the development of policies that promote an eco-friendly blue economy.
“If we fail to act now, we risk undermining the future of our economies, our food security and the livelihoods of millions, if not billions of people,” Mr Ulega warned. “This is our moment to rise to the challenge.”
Mr Ulega highlighted that collective efforts from all member states in advocating for modern fishing practices would yield significant benefits, including the preservation of marine resources to meet the needs of both current and future generations. He stressed that such efforts are vital for elevating the economies of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The ultimate goal of embracing a sustainable blue economy, Mr Ulega explained, is to improve citizens’ livelihoods by providing them with the necessary tools to exploit marine opportunities effectively.
On combating illegal fishing, Mr Ulega suggested focusing on equipping small-scale fisheries with modern technologies like the cage system, noting that illegal fishing often persists in many countries due to the use of rudimentary fishing gear.
In Tanzania, where small-scale fisheries dominate the sector, accounting for 95 per cent, the government has been actively supplying modern equipment, including cages, to modernise the industry.
In February this year, President Samia Suluhu Hassan distributed approximately 222 fishing cages and 55 boats to fishers in the Lake Victoria regions, including Mwanza, Mara and Kagera, underscoring the government’s commitment to sector modernisation.
Additionally, Mr Ulega mentioned the Building Better Tomorrow (BBT) programme, which equips youth with modern fishing skills.
He said the government aims to increase the fishery sector’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 3 per cent by 2030, up from the current 1.9 per cent.
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Mr Ulega also urged member states to accelerate efforts to combat marine plastic pollution, which is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide.
He noted that the meeting aligns with the global Agenda 2030 initiative, specifically Goal 14, which emphasises the importance of life below water and the need to prevent water pollution and overfishing.
Earlier, OACPS Assistant Secretary-General Ms Cristelle Pratt encouraged member states to continue fostering interregional and international collaborations to address climate change effects, including typhoons, floods and heat waves, which have severely impacted marine resources.
She noted that the meeting, which brought together over 70 participants, serves as a platform for countries to chart a path toward realising the full potential of the fishery sector and the blue economy at large.
