RECENTLY drafted guidelines limiting fishing activities in shallow waters will be marginally applicable in deep water lake surfaces of Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa, along with hydroelectric power dams of Mtera, Nyerere and Nyumba ya Mungu.

Dr Edwin Mhede, the Livestock and Fisheries deputy minister, made this affirmation at a stakeholders meeting here yesterday, explaining that the government is fine-tuning fishing guidelines on shallow waters, to identify and monitor ongoing activities on such waters.

Urging stakeholders in the sector to intensify public education on sustainable fishing to improve the industry, he said that shallow waters are those that go dry during the dry season.

During the rainy season the water surfaces become full again, thus fishing activities on such sources is not well regulated, he said, noting that the meeting was convened for fisheries stakeholders to fine-tune draft guidelines for shallow water fishing activities.

The majority of fishermen and women are unaware of laws and guidelines on shallow water activities, compelling the ministry to work with local government authorities, the President’s Office (Planning and Environment) as well the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment) to intensify education on sustainable fishing as it is of great importance to the nation, he stated.

He raised worries that the majority of people conduct fishing activities without observing statutory limits to such activities, thus the ministry, in collaboration with other stakeholders, need to provide education on the laws and guidelines guiding the sector.

This is meant to help stakeholders including small fishermen to attain sustainability in year-long activities, to their own benefit, he said.

It is due to poor knowledge that fishermen and women conduct their activities in patchy waters using illegal fishing tools like unauthorized nets, whose use is not healthy for species reproduction in such surfaces, in which case it impedes sustainable fishing, he said.

Bugomba Kimasa, acting deputy director for fisheries resource development, said on his part that fishing activities on lower waters are vital for people to get food and individual income. It is thus important to have guidelines to make this activity sustainable, he said.

Aziza Mumbi, the deputy regional administrative secretary for economy, said the region is littered with a scatter of spaces for shallow water fishing.