Fishing cooperative society in Lake Victoria gets 117m/- boost
MUSOMA, MARA: THE Busumi Fishing Cooperative Society has been awarded an interest-free loan of 117m/- by the Government to support cage fishing in Lake Victoria.
This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to advance the fisheries sector in Tanzania.
The cooperative, which comprises 20 members, will utilize the funds to acquire four cages, fish fry, feed and insurance for their fish farming operations.
“The cage farming experts have completed their work and the cages were placed in Lake Victoria’s Suguti village area yesterday,” said Professor Sospeter Muhongo, Member of Parliament for Musoma Rural, in an interview with the Daily News.
Prof Muhongo highlighted that Musoma Rural District has seen successful implementation of cage fishing projects in the villages of Kigera, Bwai Kwitururu and Suguti.
“Fishermen from other areas are also highly motivated and are preparing to apply for government loans for cage fishing,” he added.
The Musoma Rural MP expressed profound gratitude to the government for providing favourable interest-free loans and modernizing fishing practices to boost incomes.
“The fishermen of Musoma Rural are deeply thankful for these initiatives,” he stated.
Fish farming in Tanzania began in the 1950s but faced slow growth until the 1980s due to outdated farming methods and technology.
Recent years have seen a surge in the industry’s popularity, thanks to the government’s targeted interventions to promote the sector.
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Earlier this year, President Samia Suluhu Hassan emphasized her government’s commitment to strengthening the fisheries sector to boost its contribution to the national economy.
Key initiatives outlined by President Samia include acquiring vessels for deep-sea fishing and expanding cage fish farming across major lakes.
She also stressed the importance of formalizing jobs in the fishing sector, particularly for young people and women engaged in informal employment.
