- The CAG, 72.99 percent of the nation’s fishing vessels are operating without a license or registration.
- The Tasac fee and the fisher’s registration license fee would have generated a potential total loss of Sh15.162 billion.
- Less than 30% of the vessels in Lindi were unlicensed and unregistered, potentially resulting in an annual loss below Sh500 million.
According to a report by Tanzania’s Controller and Auditor General (CAG), the usage of unregistered and unlicensed fishing vessels has resulted in the government losing approximately Sh15.162 billion in potential revenue over the last five years.
According to Mr. Charles Kichere, the CAG, 72.99 percent of the nation’s fishing vessels are operating without a license or registration. With an average annual production of 395,006 tons from catch fisheries, Tanzania is among the top 10 countries in Africa. To ensure food security and socioeconomic well-being, fishing is essential.
Illegal Fishing
286,15 vessels engaged in fishing operations across the nation’s waterways between 2018 and 2023; however, 20,885 of them lacked a license or registration. The Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (Tasac) fee and the fisher’s registration license fee would have generated a potential total loss of Sh15.162 billion as a result of this.
The audited bodies of water were found to have illegal fishing activities, with Lake Victoria having the highest frequency of usage of illicit fishing gear. Less than 30 percent of the vessels in Lindi and Dar es Salaam were unlicensed and unregistered, potentially resulting in an annual loss below Sh500 million.
The Commission on Audit (CAG) recommended that the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO RALG), and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MLF) enhance the system for registering and licensing fishing vessels, boats, and fishermen in the water bodies, providing licenses to all of these entities in compliance with current fisheries laws.
The PO RALG further stressed the necessity of upholding and enforcing the requirement to stop fishing operations during designated close seasons to promote fish spawning and increase the sustainability of fisheries stocks.
