OVER 1,000 people from community-based organisations (CBOs) and Fishers Cooperative Unions (FICOs) in the Lake Zone and regions surrounding Lake Tanganyika have benefited from an interest-free government loans for fish farming inputs.

Additionally, more than 30 individuals and 10 companies have also received loans, according to Aquaculture Officer in the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Elinsa Massawe.

In an interview, Massawe explained that the loans were provided to groups, individuals and companies that meet the conditions set by the ministry under the coordination of Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB).

The government has also trained over 500 youth through the Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiative for Agriculture (BBT-YIA) programme and allocated 80 areas on Lake Victoria for cage fishing to reduce farming costs.

Massawe noted that there is a high response to opportunities for cage fish farming, driven by the government's initiatives to invest in the blue economy. 

People from Iringa, Dodoma, Kigoma, Rukwa, Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions have been travelling to Mwanza to learn about cage fishing investment.

Cage fishing not only creates employment but also boosts fish production, helps protect fish, increases breeding areas and reduces illegal fishing. 

Massawe reported significant reduction in illegal fishing in areas designated for cage farming in Lake Victoria.

He also highlighted that cage fishing enables the government to generate revenue through levies and other charges, encouraging further investment in the sector for economic development.