Tanzania imports 2,000 tonnes of mackerel fish annually, says deputy minister

What you need to know:

Speaking during the commemoration of World Fisheries Day in Mafia on November 21, 2017, he said it was a disgrace to a country like Tanzania to import fish, while there were plenty of fish species that could meet fish demand in the country.

Tanzania imports 2,000 tonnes of mackerel fish annually, according to deputy minister of Livestock and Fisheries Abdallah Ulega.

Speaking during the commemoration of World Fisheries Day in Mafia on November 21, 2017, he said it was a disgrace to a country like Tanzania to import fish, while there were plenty of fish species that could meet fish demand in the country.

“Illegal fishing does not only affect the fisheries sector, but also the tourism sector on which the island banked. Fisheries statistics show that the number of fishermen and of fishing vessels has been increasing, while fish catches are decreasing,” he said.

Giving an example, he said in 2012 there were 180,000 fishermen, who were using 56 fishing vessels and managed to catch 369,000 tonnes of fish. “But last year, there were 200,000 registered fishermen, using 60 fishing vessels, but fish catches dropped to 362,00 tonnes of fish only.”