TANZANIA – The government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Livestock Development has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kagera Regional leaders, Tanzania Agricultural Catalytic Trust (TACT) and Nelson Mandela African Institution of Sciences and Technology to introduce cage fish farming in the North-western region of Tanzania.
The project is aimed to boost growth of the sector and increase its contribution to the GDP from the current 1.71%.
The sector is also key as it supports about 4.5 million people, with fishing activities dominated by small-scale fishermen accounting for more than 95 percent of the total fish produced.
Under the project, TACT will finance the programme to be undertaken on land allocated by the authorities in Kagera Region at Kyamalange village in Bukoba Rural’s Rubafu Ward, where cage fish farming activities will be carried out on pilot basis.
Meanwhile, the Arusha based Nelson Mandela African Institution of Sciences and Technology will spearhead research on aquatic creatures and will soon open a campus in Bukoba Municipal Council.
“We are delighted that the MoU for the implementation of the project has been finalised. Every one of us should play his/her role to increase revenue from fisheries resources. We have the ability and capacity of doing this,” said Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Livestock Development (Fisheries), Dr. Rashid Tamatamah.
Dr. Tamatamah further revealed that the Center for Aquaculture Technology has already been completed located at Lubambangwe village, in Geita Region’s Chato District a project that cost about Tsh3.7 billion (US$1.595m) on completion.
Also, Jahazi East Africa Company Ltd has pledged to inject about US$26 million (Tsh. 54 billion) in the cage fish farming project.
Jahazi East Africa Co Ltd Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Leonard Slyvanus said the company was well prepared to find suitable markets for fisheries resources once the project stats operation.
The Lake Victoria fishery contributes immensely to the socio-economic development of the riparian states.
The East African Community (EAC) has designated the lake basin as an ‘economic growth zone’, with the potential to develop into a major economic region.
Tanzania fish production in the fiscal year 2019/2020 rose to 392, 933 metric tonnes, earning the country Tsh 1.85 trillion (US$800m), an increase from Tsh 1.63 trillion (US$700m) attained in 2018/2019.
The rise in earnings is attributed to a raft of measures taken by the government to safeguard the industry.
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