The Zanzibar Fisheries Policy aims to promote sustainable development of the fisheries sector, which will contribute to the blue economy, food security, resource management and marine conservation, climate adaptation, and improvement of social wellbeing. The Policy focuses on establishing a management framework that ensures the maintenance of productivity. The Implementation Strategy will span five years, beginning from the financial year 2022/23. It is important to note that the proposed interventions are not fixed and may be reassessed during the mid-term review of the Implementation Plan. The Policy was focused on 6 Strategic areas, namely (1) Fisheries Management, aimed to enhance sustainable fisheries through five key objectives: strengthening institutional and human resource capacity, improving collaborative management and compliance, promoting investment in industrial fishing for processing and marketing, facilitating offshore industrial fishing while developing artisanal fisher capacity, and strengthening the Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) system; (2) Aquaculture Development aimed to unlock Zanzibar's aquaculture potential by improving governance systems to attract investment, stimulate new products, enhance value addition, introduce innovative processing, secure market access, and generate employment. This will be achieved through strengthening aquaculture coordination, health, and employment practices, promoting efficient technologies, and supporting private-sector initiatives with quality inputs, technical support, and initial investment capital; (3) Marine Resources Conservation, aimed to be enhanced by strengthening the sector's capacity to manage marine conservation areas, facilitating co-management of coastal zones for sound environmental practices, and contributing fisheries-related information to aid Marine Spatial Planning processes, thereby preserving vital fish stocks, restoring habitats, and supporting tourism; (4) Marine Resources Research and Development, aimed to overcome data collection challenges and ensure science-based decision-making in Zanzibar's fisheries by strengthening research and development capacity within the sector. This involves attracting dedicated funding for priority research areas and designating a competent institution for quality control and certification of fisheries products; (5) Market Access, Value Addition and Infrastructures, aimed to transform Zanzibar's fisheries into a highly competitive sector by stimulating market access, adding value, and improving infrastructure. This will be achieved through promoting investments and enterprise development, establishing world-class quality certification and assurance facilities, developing local, regional, and international market infrastructures and marketing systems, fostering adoption of advanced technologies in handling and processing, facilitating investments in fish ports and landing sites, and strengthening institutional capacity for quality control and certification; (6) Cross-Cutting and Emerging Issues, aimed to integrate critical concerns like environmental health, resilient ecosystems, and national security into fisheries management, fostering resilience, inclusivity, and safety. This is achieved by raising public awareness on eco-friendly practices and climate change, promoting gender mainstreaming in fisheries initiatives, improving fishing community living conditions, ensuring environmental safety and security of aquaculture, and strengthening capacity to meet regional and international obligations for emerging issues.
Zanzibar (République-Unie de Tanzanie) · 2022-01-01