The government has urged investors in Tanzania’s fisheries sector to step up the use of science, research and quality fish fingerlings as the country seeks to expand aquaculture and improve returns from fish farming.
Livestock and Fisheries Minister Ambassador Dr Bashiru Ally Kakurwa said yesterday that stronger investment in research and fish production inputs was critical to making cage fish farming more productive and sustainable.
He made the remarks during a visit to The Big Best Company Limited’s cage fish farming project in Ilemela District, Mwanza Region, where he also called on investors to explore opportunities in fish-feed manufacturing.
“Major investors in the fisheries sector should seize the opportunity to invest in fish-feed manufacturing. The aquaculture sector is growing in Tanzania, and production must be guided by proper use of science and research,” Dr Bashiru said.
He directed the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) to strengthen collaboration with investors in conducting research on the quality of fish fingerlings produced in Tanzania.
The minister said improving the quality of fingerlings would be essential as commercial aquaculture expands, helping farmers achieve better production and strengthening the wider fisheries value chain.
The government’s push comes as fish farming gains importance as an alternative source of fish production amid growing demand for fish and pressure on natural fisheries resources.
Dr Bashiru also announced that the government was finalising regulations and legislation to prohibit the catching, storage, transportation and sale of fish below the legally prescribed size.
He said the government was currently conducting public education on sustainable fishing practices before the new measures are enforced.
The move is expected to strengthen protection of fisheries resources and discourage practices that threaten the regeneration of fish stocks in Tanzania’s water bodies.
The Acting Chairman of The Big Best Company Limited Board of Directors, Prof Samwel Mchele Limbu, said the company’s fish farming project has the capacity to produce eight million fingerlings.
He said the company has invested about TZS205 billion in the project, which currently includes 250 cages for rearing fish and 500 cages used for harvesting.
The company is also planning to establish a fish-feed manufacturing plant in Mwanza with an annual production capacity of 72,000 tonnes.
The planned plant could help address one of the key costs facing commercial fish farmers—access to reliable and quality fish feed—while reducing dependence on imported products.
The investment also signals growing private-sector interest in aquaculture as Tanzania seeks to build a more integrated fisheries value chain, from fingerling production and feed manufacturing to fish farming and marketing.
Ilemela Member of Parliament William Kafiti urged the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries to strengthen the identification and management of fishing zones on Lake Victoria to minimise conflicts among different users of the lake.
He said clearer boundaries and stronger enforcement would help create a more orderly environment for fishing, cage farming and other economic activities on the lake.
Residents, meanwhile, said the presence of The Big Best cage fish farming project had generated economic opportunities in surrounding communities and contributed to access to social services.
The government says the expansion of aquaculture must go hand in hand with research, environmental management and responsible use of water resources if Tanzania is to turn its abundant water resources into sustainable economic opportunities.
For citizens, the success of the sector could mean more fish in the market, new jobs, stronger local businesses and improved food security—provided growth is supported by quality inputs, sound research and responsible management of the country’s fisheries resources.
