Proposal for Exclusive Access Zones for Small-Scale Fishers in Tanzania

TLDR

• The Legal Gap Despite Tanzania’s progressive Fisheries Act of 2003 and the Marine Parks and Reserves Act of 1994, the report identifies a critical legal gap.
• Mafia Island In one striking example, small-scale fishers in Mafia reported losing more than 60% of their traditional fishing grounds following the establishment of the Mafia Island Marine Park (MIMP).
• The report also serves as a reminder that, if Tanzania is to achieve the goals of Vision 2050, the country’s Blue Economy must grow without leaving behind communities that have depended on and protected its coastal.
• The fisheries sector contributes 1.7% to Tanzania’s national GDP and provides roughly 30% of the country’s daily animal protein intake.
• Yet, the report reveals a troubling reality: small-scale fishers (SSF) are increasingly being squeezed out of the coastal waters and fishing grounds they have relied on for generations.