Story by ADF Magazine
Tanzania’s fishing sector is a cornerstone of the nation’s economy. Boat builders, fishers and fish processors, wholesalers, and restaurants all rely on the bounty of the Indian Ocean. In fact, about one-quarter of Tanzania’s population depends on fishing for economic reasons and for food.
The industry employs more than 4 million people and contributes significantly to the Tanzanian economy. However, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including by industrial foreign fleets, is disrupting this vital sector, stealing catches that should be contributing to the Tanzanian economy.
Up to $142.8 million in potential income is lost to IUU fishing each year in the South-West Indian Ocean. And that doesn’t count local environmental damage from trawl and illegal shark fishing methods that threaten the sustainability of fish stocks and the livelihoods of local communities.
“In too many places, large foreign fishing fleets and some local bad actors are bringing in catches well above sustainable limits,” said Jennifer Littlejohn, U.S. acting assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, in February. These fleets, she said, “are endangering the health of essential fish stocks and the livelihoods of those who rely on those stocks.”
To combat this threat, stop lost local revenue and protect local jobs, the United States is partnering with Tanzania to pilot electronic monitoring systems on deep sea fishing vessels and also monitor blast fishing practices. These programs are part of the United States’ efforts to identify and regulate problematic activities and promote sustainable fishing in the region.
A quarter of fish caught in the waters of East Africa are “caught illegally, threatening marine life and the blue economy,” the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania said on Twitter/X. “The U.S. is working to combat [IUU] fishing to protect fish stocks for present and future generations.”
Securing Tanzania’s territory
Every year, the U.S. partners with Tanzania and more than a dozen other countries in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean for Cutlass Express, an annual naval exercise that advances maritime cooperation, combats illegal fishing and secures territorial waters.
“It’s good the participants are here, networking and keeping in contact, working together on cases and consolidating the communication on a national and regional level,” said Pooja Bissoonauthsing, a legal officer from the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), who participated in the exercise. Crimes and illicit activity on the ocean “are inherently transnational in nature,” he said, “so you need to be able to contact your counterparts to get all of the information.”
The U.S. also supplies Tanzanian authorities with coastal patrol boats, enhancing their ability to monitor and secure their territorial waters. These boats are equipped with the technology for tracking fishing vessels, significantly boosting Tanzania’s maritime enforcement capabilities.
Through the SAFE Seas initiative, Tanzanian law enforcement officers receive specialized training to combat IUU fishing. The program includes workshops on identifying suspicious fishing activity, monitoring techniques and legal procedures for prosecuting offenders. Increased arrests have followed, along with a notable decrease in illegal fishing operations in Tanzania.
To help the fishers themselves, the U.S. offers classes and technical assistance aimed at promoting sustainable fishing practices. These programs teach local communities how to manage their fish stocks responsibly, use data to improve fishing methods and ensure long-term sustainability. This hands-on support helps conserve fish populations and secures the livelihoods of those who depend on fishing.
All this collaboration is paying off. The United States and Tanzania plan to continue jointly fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
“For over six decades, Tanzania has been a beneficiary of invaluable support from the United States of America,” Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said when she met with Vice President Harris in March 2023. “We welcome the United States’ support on fishing.”
