Fishing is dangerous in Tanzania...
The below article about the dangers and problems related to fishing was forwarded to the DLIST team.
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Fishing: Now seen as a dangerous undertaking
Daily News, By JAFFAR MJASIRI, 23rd September 2011
FISHERMEN on the coast of Dar es Salaam region and Bagamoyo district have said that their career is destined for a bleak future. Most fishing grounds in the area, where their vessels can reach, are rich in fish stocks but the sea is too rough and highly dangerous. Speaking to the 'Daily News on Saturday' at Msasani in Dar es Salaam, Mr Mdachi Zecha, who has been a fisherman since 1964, said recently that 10 vessels had capsized in the Indian Ocean over a period of one year.
Some of the fishermen who were using the ill-fated vessels, who went missing, include Mfaki Zuberi, Ali Marango, Hassan and Ali. However the late Ali's body was found sometime this year and buried.
He said that the ill-fated boats include vessels christened Ismail Bubu, Ali Mbunibwini, Kudura, Mozea, and Rama Chenga which were operating along the coast.
"There is no government patrol boat that can reach the deep seas where it can come up handy in case of an accident," he said. He also said that since he and other fishermen started doing this business, there has never been any opportunity for training on the best ways to deal with accidents at sea or other fishing risks.
Reacting to the marine accident reports, Marine Police officials admitted that the Marine Police Unit does not have any statistics in connection with victims who go missing at sea, including fishermen who drown. "Fishermen do not report such incidents to us, apparently for some reasons," one official said. "But even if information reaches the Patrol Unit, it would be too late for rescuers to reach the scene of accident in time," he said. "It is possible that these vessels are among those conducting dynamite fishing and feel that reporting such matters will draw the attention of the authorities and invite interrogation," he said.
He further said that efforts to reach out to the fishermen and train them on how to deal with fishing disasters was continuing. "We have already conducted training at Magogoni Ferry. We enlighten fishermen on the best methods of avoiding disaster in dangerous sea situations," he said. He added that the Marine Patrol Unit has also given mobile phone contact numbers to all fishermen who underwent training recently.
He said, however, that his office had not received any complaint regarding the ordeal of any fisherman whose fish catch was confiscated by patrol officers. "We challenge the fisherman who faced such ordeal to report the matter to our headquarters. He should mention the date and location where such incident occurred. Some fishermen along the Dar es Salaam coast claimed recently that they were facing difficulties since some Marine patrol boats were extorting fish from them.
Another veteran fisherman, Mr Kombo Rajabu, complained that since earnings from fishing had deteriorated, fishermen now find the licence fees too expensive. "Each fisherman is required to pay 12,000/- and the vessel is taxed at 15,000/- annually," he said. He described the peak season to be between January and February (Kaskazi) when at least one can realize a good catch each day. But he added that between the months of August and October (kusi) the sea gets so rough and so windy that it becomes difficult to make a living out of fishing.
Mr Zecha says: "In recent years fishermen and their families have continued to live from hand to mouth. He said that actually fishermen eat what they manage to get and not what they want." Among the youths who are active in fishing is Mbwana Kombo of Msasani who said that fishing is a challenging venture riddled with numerous problems. These include a lack of proper fishing gear, inferior vessels, harsh sea conditions and near-empty fishing grounds. "Many youths cannot afford to get married because their undertaking does not earn them enough money for a decent livelihood," he said.
Mzee Yusuf said: "It is the fishermen who have contributed greatly towards harming the environment at sea. They have ruined most fishing grounds using outlawed fishing methods. So, we have to cover long distances to reach good fishing grounds." According to him, illegal fishing, in terms of using dynamite and prohibited fishing gear, continues unabated. "We still see some unscrupulous fishermen deploying nets measuring six to eight millimetres. These destroy fish eggs and deplete sardines, prawns and young fish," he said.
The Marine Police official said that the unit is conducting community education among fishermen in a quest to control illegal fishing activities. "We are planning to recruit fishermen who will undergo training on self-rescue techniques. They will be enlightened on how best to use vessels and how to minimize risks, including how to determine weather conditions before setting out to sea," he said.
The 'Daily News' learned that Magogoni fishermen who were patronizing the fish market were already benefiting from the Marine Police training. Speaking to this paper, a Fisheries Officer, Mr Fidelis Ntima, who is stationed at Magogoni, said that joint patrols and inspections are carried out by Sumatra, Marine Police and fisheries officials.
"The officials visit the market to inspect the fish catches in a bid to make sure that the fish were not killed by dynamite," he said. Dynamite fishing has been outlawed. The officials also conduct seminars one of which ended recently at Magogoni. The initiative brought together artisanal fishermen and enlightened them on the dangers of using dynamite in fishing.
The harm is caused to the environment, the fish and the human body. "The initiative will also involve community policing in terms of reporting attempts or atrocities wrought by fishermen who use illegal fishing methods," he said.
Mr Mzee said that given the distance that they have to cover these days on fishing forays, fishermen cannot see their children since they leave home before dawn and return late at night when the kids have fallen asleep. "These days even attending Friday sermons is a privilege, as often you find yourself in the deep seas," he said. He also said that despite these difficult sea conditions, some fishermen are still able to perform their five prayers a day.
The young generation of fishermen claimed that currently the situation has reached a point that they cannot make any savings. Deep sea fishing is an expensive venture which calls for hefty investment.
"If death strikes a member of your family, you cannot even afford to meet the burial expenses," he said. "When a fisherman falls sick, it is even more serious since his family cannot meet medical expenses," he said.
