Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government is working on mechanism to identify fishing nets manufacturing and distribution to curb and control illegal fishing gears in the country.
The Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Mashimba Ndaki said they have put a surveillance mechanism to monitor manufacturers who bring into the market outlawed fishing nets cross the country.
“We are well prepared to monitor manufacturers who produce and bring to the markets outlawed fishing nets,” the Minister said shortly after destroying illegal fishing gears valued at 55.8m/-.
The gears were netted by Fish Surveillance Unit at Kipili along the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika in Nkasi District in Rukwa recently. Kipili Fish Surveillance and Quality officer in Charge, Mr Kasbeth Raphael told the minister that the illegal fishing gears were impounded and seized during a special operation conducted between June and July.
The exercise was witnessed by members of Nkasi District Security and Defence Committee, Member of Parliament for North Nkasi Constituency Ms Aidah Kenani and several senior officials. Equally, regarding the establishment of fishermen cooperatives Mr Ndaki said the government plans to enable fishermen thought their association to obtain loans so that they can procure more modern fishing equipment.
He noted that fishermen cooperative societies will benefit loans from and through various financial institutions from the like of Tanzania Agriculture Development Bank (TADB). John Boko a fisherman from Nkasi district told the minister that they have been in dilemma for years after procured some fishing gears from some suppliers who failed to deliver and no measures were taken against them.
Similar sentiment was echoed by several fishermen when minister gave them airtime to breathe out their grievances.
