Tanzania: Isles Consumes 42,000 Tonnes of Fish Annually, House Told

By Nelly Mtema & Katare Mbashiru

ZANZIBAR consumes 42,000 tonnes of fish annually, against its capacity to produce 38,000 tonnes,

experiencing a shortage of 4,000 tonnes, the House of Representatives heard here on Thursday.

Blue Economy and Fisheries Minister, Abdallah Hussein Kombo told the house that on average, each islander consumes between 20 and 25 kilogrammes of fish annually, far higher than the African average of 9.4 kilogrammes.

The global average ranges between 20 and 22 kilogrammes per person, the minister said in his response to Mfenesini Representative Machano Othman Said, who sought to know Zanzibar's fish demand against its production capacity annually.

The minister said the government through the Fishery Act, 2010 controls imports and transportation of fish and other marine resources, saying fish imports have to observe all safety and quality standards to protect the health of consumers.

He said tightly regulated fish import is inevitable to meet the market demand without affecting the country's fishermen, elaborating that the country experiences acute fish shortage during windy season and the holy month of Ramadan.

Minister Kombo said the ministry is determined to promote fish farming and deep sea fishing to meet demand in the country and empower citizens economically.