FAO and sustainable fishing in Lake Tanganyika

While the coastal villages of Lake Tanganyika in the Kigoma, Katavi, and Rukwa regions rely on the lake as the means of their economy, fishing in the area has not been productive due to a variety of factors including poor skills, poor tools, and climate change, which requires stakeholders to support solution.

As a way of sustainable harvest of Lake Tanganyika fisheries products, FAO has organized a value chain addition taskforce team under the FISH4ACP project to be implemented on 2022-2024.

The sustainable production of perch, sardine and sprat in Lake Tanganyika is potential for not only increasing people’s income but also protecting the lake from the destruction of its resources.

Speaking during the launching of the national value chain task force Hashim Muumi FISH4ACP project Coordinator (FAO) said, its aim is to assist in strengthening value chain addition based upon sustainable managed fisheries resources.

” We want to reduce post-harvest losses by requiring improved fish handling and processing techniques and point out potential environmental benefits for fisheries and aquaculture for in every stage of fish production we incur losses,” said Muumi

Muumi added the project will call upon fisheries handling and adoption of the use of ice cubes to store the fish from the Lake to the landing site to avoid destruction and further losses.

 “We will conduct this project in a participatory manner where community along the shores of Lake Tanganyika will be included in protecting Lake Resources and enhance sustainable fishing for positive results” emphasized Muumi.

On his side  TAFIRI director-general, Dr. Ismael Kimirei said, they will introduce new technology in proceeding the fish for drying using smoke reduces fish value and can’t allow the product to last for a long time.

” Fishermen and food processors should adopt and add value to their fish drying method as for currently fish hardly last for 7 days without being destructed which is not suitable for international markets” Said Kimirei

Apart from value chain addition, he said over the 30 years in 1990’, Lake Tanganyika is now undergoing the fish stoke assessment this year with approximately 200 million budget with the aim of knowing how much fishes are in the lake for proper planning and decision making for sustainable and preservation of lake resources, the funding from the government of Tanzania.

Talking about the involvement of The National Environment Management Council (NEMC) in the project, Benjamin Doto Western Manager said, they will make sure to influence the marine transporter to install types of equipment for solid waste management to protect the lake water from pollution for water is the source of generating much Lake products for sustainable use.

On the side of the Chairperson of Fisheries Union in Kigoma Francis John said the most challenging issue in value addition is the modern processing areas in most fish markets and asks the government to place them for sustainable harvest and increase income.

Writer: Adela Madyane

Edited by. Prosper Kwigize