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Magufuli appeals for patriotism in curbing rampant illegal fishing
2008-04-28 09:25:13
By Edwin Agola
The minister for Livestock Development and Fisheries, John Magufuli, has urged fishermen to be more patriotic in the fight against illegal fishing practices.
Magufuli told members of Tanzania Fishermen and Maritime Workers Union in Dar es Salaam over the weekend that it is high time fishermen using dynamite explosives stopped the practice immediately or face the wrath of the law.
He asked regional administrations and the police to join hands in the fight against the malice and reiterated to deal mercilessly with fishery officials who protect the culprits.
``You know them by names, we will ambush every market starting with the Ferry International Market in the country, go for a fishmonger and those found selling illegal catch. Both will be charged along with fishery officials in the area concerned,`` he said.
The minister called upon local fishermen to form beach management units in accordance with the Fisheries Act to oversee their welfare.
He said the government fully supports efforts to revive the sector and has taken necessary steps to check on foreign vessels that exploit the coastal resources behind the veil of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
``For the sake of this nation and the generations to come, you should guard your natural resources patriotically,`` he said.
The minister also urged the fishermen to form groups in order to make good use of Marine and Coastal Environmental Management Project (Macemp), a programme that caters for the needs of small scale fishermen.
He said if utilised fully, the sector can create up to 500 jobs in the country.
``The ban on fishing in Zone 1 along Bagamoyo is not applicable to small scale fishermen`` the minister said and added: ``You should go fishing undisturbed in shallow waters``.
He emphasised on government commitment to review licenses issued to vessels operating in our water territories.
The workers union representative, Maulid Hamad Maulid, said statistics available show that a vessel owned by Tanpesca fished only 18 tonnes of prawns in a span of seven days only.
`Mv Faraja` owned by Bahari Food fished 20 tonnes in 15 days. This shows there is abundant fish in our waters.
The claims were, however, refuted by the Assistant Director of Tanzania Fisheries Institute (Tafiri), Dr Yohana Budeba, who urged that research carried in 2006 indicated a decline in the quantities of prawns.
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