AfricaPress-Tanzania: DEEP sea fishing has received yet another boost after the government yesterday tabled a bill in the parliament which provides for requirements of development, management, control and conservation of fishery resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The passed Bill makes provisions for recognition of the existence of the Deep Sea Fishing Authority.
The Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development, Luhaga Mpina said this when he tabled the Bill for Deep Sea Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2020, insisting that it is expected to address some of the challenges in the fishing sector including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
The bill will upon assertion by the Head of State facilitate the management and development of the fisheries conservation and related activities in the country.
“The law gives powers to the responsible minister to enter into bilateral fishing agreements, exchange of fishing information, incentives and creation of special Economic Export Zones (EEZ),” he said.
“It is expected that the bill will improve foreign relations with Tanzania due to the reduction in the number of illegal fishing ships who fly Tanzanian flags in deep sea,” added the minister.
The deputy chairman for the committee, Dr Christine Ishengoma said the committee was satisfied with the law because it has put in place legal measures to be taken against anyone who will be found with Shark carcass because it was the norm in most countries with such laws.
The bill also provides for provisions that give conditions to all ships that will be flying Tanzanian flags as well as details for ships with Tanzanian registration.
“The bill now highlights conditions for local registered ships not to engage in illegal activities while beyond Tanzania’s borders,” the minister said.
The law also calls for the establishment of the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), Automatic Identification System (AIS).
The parliamentary standing committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Water hailed the government for tabling the bill, saying this will go a long way into proper facilitation of the fishing sector to the national economy.
The committee said, certainly, the law is going to conserve the marine environment because there will be regulated activities on the sea.
