Tanzania: Govt All Out to Make Fishing on Lake Victoria

Tanzania: Govt All Out to Make Fishing on Lake Victoria

Mwanza — LIVESTOCK and Fisheries Deputy Minister Mr Abdallah Ulega said the government plans to make optimal use of Lake Victoria, especially by allocating ar- eas for aquaculture to make fishing activities sustainable.

Mr Ulega made the remarks on Monday this week when he visited the Chinese company Tangreen, which has invested in fish farming project by using cages along Lake Victoria, in Mwanza.

He said the government was committed to doing so in order to avoid interference of aquaculture activities with conventional fisheries so that all activities could be carried out efficiently and bring productivity in the blue economy.

"The Government’s plan is to ensure that pastoralism is done in specific areas and not everywhere, we should have specific areas for this work to provide op- portunities for indigenous fisher- men to continue their activities," said Mr Ulega Minister Ulega said the initiative would also attract more investors to invest in Lake Victoria, and they as the Government invite investors like TanGreen to come and invest in the country.

"The government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan has created a conducive environment for investment, and we have re- cently seen her make concerted effort to promote our country at the UN General Assembly, open investment doors, and one of the investment areas he was promot- ing is blue economy. "Said Ulega

He noted that TanGreen was focused on boosting the blue economy by breeding carnivo- rous fish and they were expecting to harvest ten thousand tonnes (10, 0000) a year.

"Currently in the country the fish caught from ponds are 22,000 tonnes so TanGreen they are going to produce half of what is currently being produced in the country" he noted further.

Mr Ulega went on by saying that there was still a huge demand of fish in the country, saying the amount needed for the year is 700,000 tonnes while the current capacity is to produce 400, 000 tonnes, thus making a deficit of 300,000 tonnes.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Rashid Tamatamah, said that the Ministry in collaboration with various stakeholders have continued to encourage investment and have encouraged banks such as the Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) to provide loans for capital for investments in fish farming and boost the blue economy.

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