Illegal fishermen remain worrisome

DENNIS FUSSI

                                                                                 Ms Mary Nagu

THE Parliamentary Committee for Agriculture, Livestock and Water has requested President John Magufuli to allow Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) to be engaged in conducting frequent patrols in marine parks and reserves in effort to end illegal fishing in the country’s waters.

The appeal was made yesterday following the committee’s visit on Bongoyo Island were they witnessed environmental destruction and exploitation of sea resources committed by some fishermen who do not use sustainable ways of fishing. Some use explosives which damage breeding grounds of fish.
The Committee Chairperson, Ms Mary Nagu, said that the committee has vowed to request permission from the president on the use of military personnel to protect marine parks and reserves as they did in 1997 and 1998.
Their intervention led to the disappearance of the problem. “In 1997 and 1998 these areas came under protection of the army and there were no incidents of blast fishing. So we think it is high time to re-introduce army patrols in order to eliminate this problem,” she said.
Contributing ideas on the issue, a Chadema Special Seat Member of Parliament from Dodoma, Sware Semesi, disclosed that Tanzania is the only country in the world whose fishermen are still utilizing illegal blast fishing methods. She urged the government to allow the army to intervene and end the problem.
MP Sware cited Mozambique as an example. She asked the government to emulate what Mozambique has done to end the marine environment destruction by using military personnel to protect marine parks.
Another member of the committee, Mr Daniel Nsazugwanko, who is MP for Kasulu Rural (CCM), advised the government to amend the marine conservation law to allow those arrested for blast fishing to be considered as terrorists.
On his side the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Water, William Tate Ole Nasha, said that the ministry has already notified the president on the matter and they are currently waiting for the head of state’s decision on the matter.
Some fishermen use dynamite to blast fish colonies or their breeding grounds ruining the ecological balance.
This kind of fishing is most prevalent in lakes, especially Lake Victoria. The fishermen also use banned gear such as gillnets, monofilaments and beach seines.
These fishing gear have been banned mainly because they catch all sorts of fish including the young. Some fishers trap fish using Thionex or Thioden which are poisonous chemical compounds that are dangerous to human health.
The medical world is aware that apart from being potential killers, Thionex and Thioden can cause impotence in men.
These dangerous fish catches are sold in the entire Lake Zone. Some fried fish are shunted as far afield as Dar es Salaam and elsewhere.