Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan laid the foundation stone for the historic construction of Tanzania’s inaugural fishing harbour in Kilwa Masoko, situated along the Indian Ocean coast in the Lindi region of southern Tanzania. The China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd has been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the construction.
In addition to this milestone, President Hassan also unveiled a fleet of 160 modern fishing boats earmarked for use by artisanal fishermen in deep-sea operations. Notably, these boats will be provided to fishermen on a loan basis without any interest.
The ambitious fishing harbour project, with an estimated cost of USD 106 million, is designed to have a daily storage capacity of 90 tonnes of frozen fish. Abdallah Ulega, the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, emphasized that the Tanzania Ports Authority would govern and manage the facility.
The fishing harbour is slated to house fish processing plants and a dedicated workshop for the production of fishing nets, as well as the repair of fishing vessels. Ulega highlighted the significant economic impact of the project, anticipating the creation of more than 30,000 job opportunities for the youth.
Moreover, the provision of 160 fishing boats to artisanal fishermen is expected to bolster the fisheries sector’s contribution to Tanzania’s economic growth. The government aims to elevate the current fisheries contribution from 1.8 per cent to an ambitious 10 per cent by the year 2036.
These fishing boats will be allocated to fishermen operating within fishing cooperatives across the Indian Ocean and the prominent Tanzanian lakes, including Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Nyasa. This strategic initiative is poised to enhance the livelihoods of fishermen and contribute significantly to the nation’s economic development through the expansion of the fisheries industry.
