Govt cautions Pemba fishermen against crossing over Tanzania water space

The government has strongly warned fishermen in Pemba Island against crossing over Tanzania water border spaces and enters Kenyan water space and does fishing activities as this is contrary to international laws that respect boundaries and an illegal malpractice. The warning had been issued early this week in parliament by the deputy minister of Livestock and Fisheries on behalf of his Minister Abdallah Ulega when he was responding a question during question and answer session. The deputy minister said that, Tanzania has a water space in its Indian Ocean to the east covering the perimeter of 1,424 Km and wondered as there is no need for fishermen from Pemba to cross over the water space borders and venture into Kenyan space. The minister issued a directive after the legislator in Pemba Island Hamad Salim (CUF) clarified when making a point on training for fishermen in the Island whom he said are not qualified enough to do the fishing job.  The legislator also noted that, due to poor knowledge on fishing technologies fishermen have in the Island, he stressed that is why some fishermen were caught by Kenyan marine patrolling officers for crossing and entered in Kenyan water space illegally. 

Abdallah Ulega 

Earlier the legislator raised a question and wanted to know plans by the government of providing training to fishermen to enable them catch more fish in Pemba Isaland. The deputy minister noted that, his ministry through Tanzania Fisheries Research In statute (TAFIRI) is striving to provide technical training to fishermen in both Zanzibar and Pemba Islands to make them become knowledgeable. He said that under the program there are about 150 trainees in total, 75 from Pemba and other 75 hails from Zanzibar. However, he further noted that, the program will be extended along the eastern coast of Tanzania in regions bordering Indian Ocean. A supplementary question was directed to the minister by the legislator Masoud Abdallah Salim (CUF) who wanted to know why the government is setting to fire fishing nets and that by doing so they leave fishermen in poverty. The Deputy Minister noted that, as long as section 22 of the Fishing Act which controls illegal fishing in the country gives them power to do so, the government will continue with its exercises of destroying such an illegal fishing gears including nets found unfit for the work of fishing as these destroys the breeding species of fish in lakes or in Ocean.