Kampala
16/10/07
 
POLITICAL WRANGLES BETWEEN TANZANIA AND ZANZIBAR THREATEN DAR - EU FISHING RIGHTS DEAL.

By Leo Odera Omolo
 
Reports emerging from Dar Es Salaam in recent past revealed that persistent internal political wrangling and disagreement between the Tanzania mainland and the revolutionary government of Zanzibar over revenue sharing have contributed largely to the stalement of fish deal between the union government and the European Union (EU).
 
The crucial Fisheries Agreement initiated in June 2004 has still to be ratified by the Tanzanian government.
 
A secret report recently availed to this writer reveals that the disputes persist between the mainland and the semi autonomous Isles government of Zanzibar over revenue sharing and on how to administer licenses to be issued to the European fishing vessels that will be conducting fishing expeditions in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the deal.
 
According to the report, the agreement which would allow a limited number of European boats to fish in Tanzanian territorial waters, in exchange for in the EU words’’ a financial contribution and support for the development of sustainable and responsible fishing practices in Tanzania waters, requires the EU to pay USD 282,504 for central and surveillance, USD 162, 426 to support local small-scale fisheries, a sum which local sources termed as ‘’a peanuts compared with the value of the anticipated catches.
 
But the EU, in a press statement issued in January this year, insist that, failure to adopt the fisheries agreement is not in the interest of Tanzania nor the region, since in the absence of agreement foreign vessels will continue to purchase individual tuna license from the Tanzania authorities costing approximately USD 10,000 per vessel per year.
 
The statement continue, ‘’under this private license arrangement there is little control on fishing as there are no quotas or catch limits and no vessel monitoring.
 
Approximately 70 - 100 such licenses are issued each year. But because fisheries is not a union issue, the mainland and Zanzibar each continue to issue their own fishing licenses separately for the same EEZ.
 
The report, according to a source in Dar Es Salaam , was compiled by an independent Consultant Commissioned by the EU Parliament, it was recently sneaked to several media house in both Kenya and Tanzania.
 
The EU will license 39 tuna seinors and 31 surface longliners to operate in Tanzania waters to fish for migratory tuna species such as yelowfin, Bigeye and skip jack as well as for billfish such as swordfish and possibly sharks.
 
 
Ship owners will be given the right to harvest 8,000 tones of Tuna and other migratory species per year.
 
According to the EU - Tanzania, for each eventual additional tone caught, the EU will pay a rate of 75 euros per tone (USD 100) up to a maximum ceiling of 24,000 tones.
 
This financial contribution i.e. in line with other similar long standing bilateral fisheries agreements with the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique and the Seychelles’’, the EU statement adds.
 
‘’The EU is concerned about the implication of continued differences and a lack of co-ordination between the two governments over jurisdiction, objectives of management, issuing of licenses, monitoring of fishing activities and legal follow up to infringement proceeds’’ says the EU reports.
 
A spokesman for the EU commission for fisheries and Maritime Affairs was recently quoted by the influential regional weekly, the EAST AFRICAN as saying that another institutional problem is that Tanzania is not a member of the Indian Ocean Tunas Commission (IOTC). 
 
The spokesperson added that the impediments is that Tanzania has not implemented  new Deep Sea Fishing Act adopted in 1998, which foresaw a joint central; of fishing in the EEZ and the creation of a Deep Sea Fishing Authority.
 
‘’It is clearly not possible to effectively manage tuna fishery if Tanzania does not accede to this body,’’ the spokesperson said adding that the EU has proposed to Tanzania adoption of the agreement on the accession to the IOTC and effective implementation of the Deep Sea Fisheries Act and continuation of the SADC programme of fisheries surveillance.
 
The report further stated that the EU Parliament has already approved the agreement but it will only take effect following the accession of Tanzania to the IOTC, the implementation of an effective programme for the monitoring of fishing activities throughout the Tanzania of the Deep Sea Fishing Authority Act 2007.
 
‘’These three actions on the part of Tanzania are necessary before an effective and proper management of tuna fishery in its EEZ is possible. The Deep Sea Fishing Authority would clarify the relative responsibilities of the federal government and Zanzibar with respect to issuing licenses surveillance, infringement proceedings,’’ The Commissioner’s statement.
 
In March this year, President Jokaya Kikwete assented to the Deep Sea Fishing Authority Act 2007 that was central the Deep Sea Fishing in its EEZ, although draft regulation for the DSFA are still pending as it awaits a consultant firm for the job.
 
The Act empowers the government of the United Republic shall retain 30 per cent and the Revolutionary government if Zanzibar shall retain 20 per cent of the proceeds obtained from the deal.
 
The Act given powers to the appointed Director- General to issue licenses in accordance with the criteria approved by the executive committee and revocations of such licenses in case of breach of any provision of this Act.
 
Under the marine and Coastal Environment Project (MACEMP) the government is to create a Deep Sea Fishing Authority (DSFA), which will be mandated to oversee all matters pertaining deep sea fishing.
 
Experts say under the current licensing system, no one knows how much tuna is being caught in the Tanzanian waters. But the EU-Tanzania Fisheries Agreement could for the first time, have provided the Tanzania government with important data on tuna catches.
 
Ends.
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com