Leaders of 150 women groups engaging in the fish sector have vowed to practice legal methods in catching products to reverse the trend of fish deficit which is causing economic challenges to millions of people who depend on it for their daily livelihood.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) announced the year 2022 to be International year of Artisanal Fishing and Aquaculture (IAFA) so as to encourage the small sector in fishing to grow and expand volume of their contribution.
According to research done by Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries in 2020, ccurrently fish production is around 422,859.78 metric tons a year, with around 95 percent of fish sourced from small-scale fisheries and the remaining 5 percent from large-scale commercial fishing, therefore putting more efforts to lift the sector.
The sector employs more than 4.5 million Tanzanians who engage in earning their livelihood from fish and related fish products.
Small scale fishing is conducted by a big number of fishermen in the world, including Tanzania, which means it is a self-employed job and provides direct food, nutrition security and other multiplier effect to the community.
The decision made by FAO to raise the sector involves discussion to mobilize the group of small fishers and women who account for 90 percent so that they can be aware of their involvement in the sector.
Therefore, on that perspective women who have a big role in the fishing sector in Tanzania have formed a platform known as Tanzania Women Fish Workers Association (TAWFA) to strengthen their foundation from district, regional, zone and national level to coordinate their activities.
Challenges facing the fish industry are unfavorable environmental and socio-economic conditions, unavailability of fish feed, illegal fishing, declining fish stocks, limited financial resources, poor fishing facilities, lack of relevant technological skills and manpower.
Stakeholders during the event said that community should abandon fishing practices which causes harm to generation of fish like using of harmful poison, small nets and catfish traps.