By Farida Salifu
Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas and Safari Glamping. It is also rich with minerals, such as precious gemstones and industrial minerals, such as coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, and silver.
In addition, Tanzania is renowned for its attractive coastal and marine environments, high marine biodiversity, and rich marine and coastal resources. The country is known to be the largest producer of Octopus fishery in the Indian Ocean.
Tanzania recently unveiled a plan to move forward from the traditional production of Octopus fish and ensure sustainable management and harvesting.
The initiative was developed in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and aims to address critical gaps in assessing and harvesting octopus stocks, focusing on enhancing conservation efforts for this valuable marine resource.
The newly introduced plan, spearheaded by Tanzania’s Fisheries Department in partnership with TNC, focuses more on the adoption of innovative approaches such as the online FishPath tool.
This specialised online tool was also developed through collaborative efforts. It would harness technical and quantitative science experience to empower decision-makers in designing effective harvesting strategies. Tailored to specific fisheries
In the past, Tanzanian octopus harvesting primarily relied on traditional, small-scale methods utilising simple gear such as spears and rods.
While this method has sustained local communities, with the increase in population, there are growing concerns about the sustainability of octopus fisheries if they are not managed effectively.
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Tanzania’s significant increase in octopus catches over the years underscores the importance of conservation efforts.
Research conducted by the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Zanzibar Fisheries, and Marine Resource Research Institute has played a crucial role in piloting conservation measures, including voluntary rotational closures of octopus fishing sites.
While these efforts were ongoing, challenges such as illegal fishing and post-harvest losses persisted, affecting the fisheries’ capacity to meet demand and ensure self-management.
To address these challenges, the government, in collaboration with TNC and local stakeholders, is developing an updated octopus fishery management plan.
Recently, during a workshop in Dar-es-Salaam, the Tanzanian capital, Prof. Mohammed Sheik highlighted the economic, nutritional, and ecological importance of conserving octopus fisheries.
During the workshop, Dr. Tuyeni Mwampamba also expressed pleasure in partnering with Tanzania to boost octopus fisheries and sustainability.
He equally emphasized the significance of data-driven management approaches.
TNC’s collaborative efforts, along with partners such as USA NOAA Fisheries and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), continue to drive innovation in fisheries management and support the conservation of marine ecosystems.
With the adoption of the FishPath tool in Tanzania and ongoing collaborative efforts, the country is poised to strengthen its octopus fisheries management and ensure the long-term sustainability of this valuable marine resource.
