KILWA, Tanzania — For some fishers in Tanzania’s Kilwa district who were among the first to receive fishing boats under a government-sponsored program, the vessels are proving to be a costly burden. The initiative, launched in November 2023 by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, was designed to transform the fishing sector by replacing outdated wooden boats with modern vessels. When Hassan visited Kilwa two months earlier, she pledged that small-scale fishers would receive the boats through low-interest loans. The promise generated excitement among fishing communities long constrained by aging vessels and with limited access to capital to buy new boats. To finance the initiative, the government partnered with the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB), which provides concessional loans to fishing groups. The loans come with very low interest rates, offer long repayment periods, and include a grace period of about five to 10 years before repayment begins. “We publish a national announcement when boats become available,” said Mohammed Sheikh, director of fisheries at Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. “Interested cooperatives apply, and once approved, they receive boats that are fully insured and ready for operation.” Each boat’s value depends on its size (typically 5-14 meters, or 16-46 feet), with an average cost of around 80 million shillings ($32,200). The program promised to boost productivity, create jobs and discourage destructive fishing practices, such as the use of dynamite and undersized netting. The latter captures small juvenile fish that haven’t had a chance to…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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