TANZANIA Bukoba — THE government has allocated a total of 60bn/- to streamline the fisheries sector in the country, including implementing cage fishing.
Kagera Regional Fisheries Officer, Efrazi Mkama explained that, of the 60bn/-, about 22bn/- was allocated for cage fishing in the Lake Zone regions.
“We thank President Samia Suluhu Hassan for allocating the funds.
Cage fishing is a huge opportunity where people could improve their livelihoods.
I thus appeal to people (males and females) engaging in fisheries activities to form cooperative groups so that they can benefit from the funds,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government has finalised plans to introduce cage fish farming in Kagera region in efforts to increase revenue from fisheries resources.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Dr Rashid Tamatamah, revealed this recently during a signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between Kagera regional leaders, the ministry, Tanzania Agricultural Catalytic Trust (TACT) and Nelson Mandela African Institution of Sciences and Technology.
“For quite a long time the contribution from the fisheries sector has remained minimal, contributing to only 1.71 per cent in the nation’s GDP.
President Samia Hassan has directed the Ministry for Livestock Development to takebold steps to increase the GDP,” he said.
Elaborating, he said Tanzania is very rich with many lakes including Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa and abundant satellite lakes and rivers.
Dr Tamatamah said that Kagera region was chosen as a pilot area where cage fish farming would be implemented before the program was expanded to other areas.
He explained that the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Sciences and Technology will spearhead research on aquatic creatures and would soon open a campus in Bukoba Municipal Council.
“We are delighted that the MoU for the implementation of the project has been finalised. Every one of us should play his/her role to increase revenue from fisheries resources. We have the ability and capacity of performing the task,” he said.
He also revealed that the Centre for Acquaculture Technology had already been completed at Lubambangwe Village, in Chato District, Geita region, adding that the project cost about 3.07bn /- until its completion.
Tanzania Agricultural Catalytic Trust (TACT) Chief Executive Officee Dr John Kyaruzi commended authorities in Kagera region for allocating enough land at Kyamalange Village in Bukoba Rural’s Rubafu Ward where cage fish farming activities would be conducted on pilot basis with TACT funding the programme.
He did not, however, reveal the amount of money to be injected in the project.
The Lake Victoria fishery contributes immensely to the socio-economic development of the riparian states.
The East African Community (EAC), has designated the lake basin as an ‘economic growth zone’, with the potential to develop into a major economic region.
The fisheries are vital in creating employment opportunities, mostly rural-based, thereby helping to reduce rural-urban migration.
Fish is also a rich source of animal protein for human consumption and provides raw material (fish-meal) for processing animal feeds.
The fish industry contributes to GDP and has continued to be an important source of foreign exchange earned from fish exports.
Besides, the fish industry contributes to the national and local government revenues through levying of various taxes, levies and license fees.
Source: allafrica.com
Share this news
This Year’s Most Read News Stories
US taps Tanzania for infrastructure plan in battle with China for minerals
Washington wants to tap into the country’s minerals, particularly its nickel mines.Continue Reading
Africa: Rwanda Gets a Grip Of Marburg, But Mpox ‘Not Yet Under Control’
Monrovia — The Rwanda Minister of State responsible for Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, cautioned that while the country is beginning to see positive signals in its fight against the Marburg virus, the outbreak is “not yet over”. He, however, expressed hope that “we are headed in that direction”. The minister said the epidemiology trend, since the disease was first discovered in the country more than a month ago, is moving towards fewer cases.
Dr. Butera, who was giving updates during an online briefing yesterday, said in the past two weeks, only two deaths were recorded while 14 people recovered from the disease. He said Rwanda was expanding its testing capacity with 16,000 people already inoculated against the disease.
The priority right now, Butera said, is “rapid testing and detection”.
Marburg is a highly virulent disease transmitted through human-to-human contact or contact with an infected animal. The fatality rate of cases, which has varied over the period, is more than 50%, according to the World Health Organization. WHO said the highest number of new confirmed cases in Rwanda were reported in the first two weeks of the outbreak. There’s been a “sharp decline” in the last few weeks, with the country now tackling over 60 cases.
At Thursday’s briefing, a senior official of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, said mpox – the other infectious disease outbreak that countries in the region are fighting – was been reported in 19 countries, with Mauritius being the latest country to confirm a case. He said although no new cases have been recorded in recent weeks in several countries where outbreaks occurred previously – including Cameroon, South Africa, Guinea, and Gabon – Uganda confirmed its first Mpox death. This, he said, is one of two fatalities reported outside Central Africa.
Dr. Ngashi revealed that there was an increase in cases in Liberia and Uganda. He said mpox cases were still on an upward trend.
“The situation is not yet under control.”
Source: allafrica.com
Zanzibar, Tanzania: Inflation hits five-year high
With Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine being blamed after inflation in Tanzania and Zanzibar rose to 4.5 this year and is climbing – the highest rate since November 2017Continue Reading
