The Tanzanian government said on Monday it has adopted an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and is promoting responsible fishing practices.
Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Luhaga Mpina said responsible fishing practices include reducing by-catch and other adverse ecosystem impacts of fisheries.
Opening the 10th Scientific Symposium of Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) in Dar es Salaam, Mpina said some fish stocks are now under comprehensive management plans that include pelagic fishery, octopus fishery, prawn fishery and national tuna management.
He said Tanzania, like other countries in the Western Indian Ocean region, is well endowed with abundant natural resources — both renewable and non-renewable.
“Commercial fisheries, coastal tourism, shipping, coastal mining and more recently natural gas and oil in coastal and marine areas, are some of the most important industrial activities that take place in our coastal and marine areas,” Mpina told the symposium that has brought together about 500 scientists, students, managers, decision-makers, community groups and the private sector from more than 30 countries across the world.
He added that the economic value of the goods and services provided by the coastal and marine environment in the Western Indian Ocean region was recently estimated to be 20.8 billion U.S. dollars annually but it could be even higher.
“We treasure this ecosystem because of the essential goods and services it provides for economic development, but we also recognize that we face several challenges in our endeavors to manage our coastal and marine environments cooperatively and in an integrated and sustainable way,” the minister said.
WIOMSA President Jacqueline Uku said the association is dedicated to promoting the educational, scientific and technological development of all aspects of marine sciences throughout the region comprising Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Reunion.
WIOMSA has a particular interest in linking the knowledge that emerges from research to the management and governance issues that affect marine and coastal ecosystems in the region, Uku said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua/NewsGhana.com.gh
