By lake Zone Watch Writer
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has directed the Ministry of Livestock Development and Fisheries to present a report on efforts to control illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean waters before the 2024/2025 budget session.
Inaugurating a boat for combating illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean at Dar es Salaam port yesterday, Majaliwa said: “The ministry should prepare a special report on the anti-illegal fishing operation before presenting its budget estimates for the 2024/2025 fiscal year.”
He thanked the Japanese government and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for donating a combined 900,000 US dollars (US dollars 500,000 for Japan and US dollars 400,000 for UNDP, respectively) towards procurement of the anti-illegal fishing boat.
Nicknamed Patrol Boat Sailfish (PB Sailfish), the state-of-the- art vessel will also be used for fighting piracy, policing transportation of illegal drugs and illegal transport of government trophies.
“On behalf of the Tanzania government and its people, we thank you very much for your continued support in various sectors of national development,” he said.
Minister for Livestock Development and Fisheries, Abdallah Ulega, told the Prime Minister that 24 people involved in dynamite fishing have already been arrested — 13 of them being distributors of dynamites, 10 fishermen and one being the sponsor of the illegal fishing method.
He said from the Indian Ocean waters, the operation would be extended to cover the great lakes – Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Ambassador to Tanzania, Yasushi Misawa, whose country has been in the forefront in helping the growth of the Tanzanian fisheries sector, said through JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency) financial assistance, Kigoma port would be renovated.