Putting a stop to unsustainable fishing practices
Tanzania’s critical marine habitats, including coral reefs and seagrass meadows, are being degraded by unsustainable fishing practices which has resulted in overfishing and the depletion of commercially important species including prawns, octopus and anchovy.
As a consequence, marine ecosystems can no longer provide enough resources to meet the needs of fishing households and their wider communities, leading to multi-dimensional poverty.
To help address these challenges, Sea Sense is working with coastal communities in Mkuranga, Kilwa, and Lindi districts who rely on marine resources for their livelihoods. These include men and women, youth and older small-scale fishers engaged in the fisheries sector. These communities are vulnerable to marine environmental degradation and the adverse effects of climate change. Most households in the project area have low incomes and lack the capacity to expand their earnings through any other means.
Activities focus on raising awareness of the critical role these communities play in resource management and providing training and tools to support sustainable practices and community-led management plans. These activities are implemented through Beach Management Units (BMUs), community-based organisations responsible for coordinating and overseeing local marine resource management.
Photo credits: Sea Sense
