Tanzania: The Sea Is the Limit, but Not for Tanzanians

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Dar es Salaam — TANZANIA’S fishing sector has long been the unsung hero of the national economy, despite feeding families, keeping kids in school and keeping coastal communities afloat. But while the waters might look calm on the surface, a silent struggle is churning in the deep.

It is not sharks or tsunamis causing trouble, it is something worse: foreign fleets, illegal operations and the slow erosion of local control. Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing might sound like the title of a bad Netflix documentary, but in Tanzania, it is a very real, very slippery problem.

According to the Tanzania Relief Initiative (TRI), foreign vessels, often disguised under local names are quietly pillaging Tanzania’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Despite territorial sovereignty, these vessels continue their shady operations with the same stealth as a cat burglar in a sushi restaurant. The Global IUU Fishing Index, developed in 2019 and updated biennially, assesses 152 coastal nations for how they manage (or mismanage) their fisheries.

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Tanzania started out among the worst 20 countries in 2019, rose slightly to 82nd place in 2021, then slipped backward to 66th in 2023. That is not a medal you want to win.

According to TRI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Advocate Edwin Mugambila, has had enough. At a recent press briefing, he proposed urgent reforms and frankly delivered more truth bombs than a reality TV reunion episode.

“Foreigners must pay taxes so the country benefits. Locals should be the ones earning a living from our waters,” Mugambila declared.

His message was clear: No fishy business without paying your dues. He urged the government to create and enforce protective laws, demand that foreign vessels go through local Fishermen’s Associations and bring in modern tracking systems to ensure every net cast is accounted for. “Look,” he added, “this is an exclusive economic zone. Emphasis on exclusive. If someone’s going to fish here, they better follow the rules and leave receipts.”

The Vanishing Act: Robusta and other Ocean ghosts

Robusta used to be the Beyoncé of Tanzanian fish and that is abundant, expensive and admired. Now? Nearly extinct in local waters.

Mugambila didn’t hold back: “Foreign vessels catch banned species, even whales and then sneak them abroad. Some even take shark fins just the fins! Our marine ecology is being depleted faster than a buffet at a fishing expo.” Don’t be fooled by the “local” name on the company letterhead.

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According to Mugambila, many of these foreign fishing operations are cleverly hiding behind Tanzanian proxies. They play the legal game with Olympic precision, while locals remain locked out of the deep-sea fishing goldmine.

“These guys know the fish market trends from Mbagala to Mtwara better than our own fishermen,” he said. “They use our people as puppets while they pull the strings from afar.”

Note that numbers don’t lie

About 86 per cent of fishing in Tanzania happens in freshwater and marine fishing contributes a mere 1.7-1.8 per cent to the GDP. Aquaculture? Just 1 per cent. With such vast marine potential, this is less “opportunity lost” and more “opportunity hijacked.”

Aquaculture invasion: Even the lakes aren’t safe

Head to the Lake Zone and you will find the same story. Some foreign companies dominate aquaculture too, again using local names to keep things under the radar. “It’s all the same,” Mugambila lamented. “Different water, same fishy business.” It’s not all doom and gloom.

Mugambila gave credit where it’s due, praising the government for supplying boats to small-scale fish ermen. These vessels have helped boost activity and income for many communities, but boats alone aren’t enough to compete with multinational fleets.

With 1,424 kilometres of coastline and over 61,000 square kilometres of inland water bodies, Tanzania should be a fishing superpower. Instead, small-scale operators with outdated equipment dominate, leaving the hightech game to foreign ships and it shows. In capture fisheries (wildcaught), small-scale fishers provide 96 per cent of the nation’s fish supply. Imports make up less than 1 per cent and aquaculture struggles to contribute 4 per cent. So, if wild stocks go under, the entire sector could collapse.

According to Mugambila, Tanzania (Mainland and Zanzibar) has yet to fully assert control over its EEZ. Without strong enforcement, the ocean becomes a free-for-all.

ALSO READ: Zanzibar honours seafarers’ day, showcases blue economy potential

Here, he outlined key vulnerabilities: -Weak institutions and enforcement; Outdated technology; Poorly managed licensing and registration; Lack of oversight on catch reporting; No designated ports or surveillance mechanisms; Minimal investment in deep-sea fishing infrastructure. Almost zero local participation in large-scale marine ventures Local marine entrepreneurs are also speaking out.

At a recent Dar es Salaam gathering, Sarah Mwambu of the Tanzania Association of Marine Entrepreneurs (TAOME) dropped her own truth bombs. “We meet foreigner buyers even at the fish collection points,” she said.

“They buy crabs and fish at sky-high prices and the locals can’t compete.” She added, “We used to buy at 14,000-15,000/- per kilo. Now foreign buyers pay up to 40,000/-. We can’t keep up, especially when working on loans. Some of us can’t even repay the banks anymore.” Tanzania isn’t alone.