ARUSHA, Tanzania, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania has reinforced the war against illegal fishing in the Africa's largest freshwater lake, by empowering security organs with working tools, so that all people who are behind the unstainable fishing activities are taken to task.
Tanzania's Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan unveiled the measures on Thursday when she took part in an exercise of setting fire on 5,662 illegal fishnets in Buhongwa in the lakeside city of Mwanza, which were seized in Lake Victoria.
"As a government, we'll ensure that people who are working in the fight against illegal fishing are empowered with all important gears, that at the end of the day produce the results that we want," she said.
She also directed security organs to arrest leaders linked to illegal fishing in Lake Victoria--the Africa's largest freshwater lake.
The Tanzanian leader said that there was a growing tendency by some local government leaders who have been condoning or engaging in illegal fishing in Lake Victoria and other parts of the east African nation.
She described illegal fishing as a chronic challenge, which had contributed to the reduction of fish stocks in Lake Victoria, which was responsible for offering employment to millions of people in Tanzania and the rest of East African countries such as Kenya and Uganda.
"This indeed has been affecting government revenues, hence thwarting development activities," the Vice President said, calling for collective efforts to address the deadly challenge facing the lake.
She also added that besides illegal fishing reducing government revenues from fish processing industries, employment opportunities were also being affected and had reduced by 49 percent.
The VP also assured authorities behind the battle, that Tanzanian government would continue to support their efforts of ensuring that natural resources in the lake were safe.
"The government will continue working closely with you (Mwanza) in ensuring natural resources in the lake continue to thrive," she said.
John Mongela, Mwanza Regional Commissioner said that illegal fishing operations in the lake would continue to be reinforced until the last minute when illegal fishing would come to an end.
He also said that Mwanza had six fish processing factories, but they had currently been reduced to four due to the reduction of fish stocks in the lake, hence threatening job opportunities for youth who depended on the factories.
A 2012 study by SmartFish said the decline of Nile Perch stocks suggested that the fisheries departments in all the three countries of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda that share Lake Victoria were allowing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing to continue thriving unabated.
