How sex and alcohol abuse affect the lives of fishermen in Mwanza

Mwanza. Despite a seemingly steady income, many Tanzanian fishermen struggle to break the cycle of poverty. The culprit? Poor financial management, according to Jephta Machandaro, secretary general of the Tanzania Fishermen’s Association (Tafu).

“When they earn money,” Mr Machandaro explains, “they spend it all on alcohol and temporary pleasures, leaving them with nothing to invest in their future.” This impulsive spending, he argues, keeps them trapped in a cycle of fishing, earning, and then quickly burning through their income.

Speaking to The Citizen’s sister paper, Mwananchi, on Thursday, April 11, 2024, Mr Machandaro said that the habit of some fishermen to indulge in alcohol and sex pleasures not only prevents them from progressing economically but is also the cause of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

“For those with fishing gear, the situation is good, but for those fishermen who go into the lake to fish, it is a completely different story. When they get money, they buy food, women, and alcohol, and then the day is over. They know they’ll get more tomorrow,” Mr Machandaro said.

He added: “They consume alcohol and marijuana in large quantities... As such, you can’t expect them to change, even if you give them a lot of money. They will spend it until it’s finished. If they get income today and you pay them as if you are the richest, you won’t see them going back to the lake again. They will go to the bars; they will spend that money until it’s finished.”

Read: How women in Ukerewe's fishing islands suffer sexual exploitation

The secretary of the Union of Fishermen in Magu, Busega, and Bunda, Mr Ndalahwa Mabula, said that due to the challenging working conditions of fishermen, many of them do not have the ability to save money for development. As such, they spend everything that they earn.

“There are various types of work arrangements that we use to pay fishermen. Some fishermen work under contract and others work in shifts. Shifts mean that maybe they work 20 days for the boat owner and then they work 5 days for themselves,” explained Mr Mabula, who is also a fishing vessel owner.

He said that by quick calculations, a fisherman benefits from earning a lot of money, starting from the daily wage he receives when fishing, which is Sh1,000 per kilogramme of fish caught.

However, the problem begins with how to plan their spending.

“For example, just on the day they go fishing, there is money they get paid for tea...For instance, if they catch 10 kilogrammes that day, they are counted at Sh1,000 per kilogramme first, which is for tea. After my 25 days, they fish for their own 6 days, and their earnings depend on how much they catch. I pay them Sh6,000 per kilogramme on their shifts. If they catch 100 kilogrammes for those 6 days, it means they have Sh600,000 to share. If you find someone who saves for development, you’ll find they’re making money,” he explained.

Vulnerable

While the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Mwanza Region has decreased from 7.2 percent in 2016/17 to 4.7 percent in 2021/22, sexual activities and alcohol consumption are mentioned as factors that hinder fishermen and contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS in fishing communities.

According to the Tanzania HIV Impact Survey of 2021/22, 4.7 percent of the population in Mwanza Region, equivalent to 151,214 people out of over 3.2 million, are living with HIV/AIDS, with more than half being young people aged between 15 and 40.

However, due to the significant interaction of people and money in fishing areas, there are believed to be HIV/AIDS infections without accurate statistics to show the extent of these infections. A fisherman from Kayenze Beach in Ilemela Municipality, Butuli Emmanuel, said many of them are forced to indulge in alcohol due to the strange things they witness on the lake.

“Without a little boost, things don’t go well. We encounter many things, so when we arrive safely on dry land, we must celebrate because our lives as fishermen are very short,” he said.

Ms Magreth John, a fish seller at Mswahili Beach, said the lack of financial discipline, education and knowledge on how to deal with these infections has led fishermen to spend money on women without fear of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

“Everyone engaged in selling has a side job, such as selling silver fish or fish or groceries, so she sets a time when fishermen finish selling, they settle their accounts, and then they negotiate and leave to engage in sex. It’s not that there are brothels here, but the fishermen themselves know the whores, so they go straight to them,” said Ms Magreth.

A fisherman at Butuja Beach in Ilemela Municipality, Ramadhani Hassan, said excessive alcohol consumption by some fishermen immediately after returning from the lake leads to engaging in unprotected sex without taking any precautions.

A fisherman at Mswahili Beach in Nyamagana District, Baraka Kabadua, said apart from alcohol, the high interaction of people, especially women, in those areas leads to a desire to engage in sex.

“Areas with fishing activities are risky for infections because they are areas where money is easily available and there is high interaction among people, and nothing facilitates sex like money, especially considering there are many women and alcohol is available throughout the day,” he said.

A resident of Sabasaba and a fisherman at Butuja Beach, Chota Simba, said the lack of education on how to deal with HIV/AIDS infections and the prevalence of commercial sex in fishing areas contribute to reckless sexual behaviour.

“In places like these, there are emerging behaviours among young people; for example, many girls aged 17 and above have been engaging in commercial sex or selling their bodies because these are areas where money is readily available in large quantities and for a short time. Now, many young boys have found themselves indulging in risky behaviour because they lack sufficient education about such hazardous diseases,” he said.

In addition to advocating financial education for fishermen, Secretary of the Fishing Community, Jephta Machandaro, has stated that it is time for the government to conduct a census in fishing areas to remove people who are not involved in fishing activities, including women engaging in commercial sex work.

“The government should conduct an assessment census of islands suitable for fishing activities and ensure that they are reserved solely for fishing purposes, with boundaries for the people who can live there for their camps,” he said. What should be done to reduce HIV infections among fishermen?

The Coordinator for HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Influenza Control from the Buchosa Council, Dr. Christian Chacha, has stated that accurate education on HIV infections and family planning methods should be delivered to fishermen to ensure they have sufficient understanding of these infections

. “If accurate education is provided to the community, they will have enough understanding, but also the proper use of preventive pills such as Prep, if considered, will help reduce infections significantly, and the use of condoms, if considered, will also help reduce them,” he said.