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From 3 to 5 July 2018, a workshop was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to discuss the implementation of the Tanzania small and medium pelagic fisheries management plan (AFMP). The management plan was prepared by a National Task Group with support of the EAF-Nansen Project and the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP). Participants were from the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of Tanzania, the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI), the Tanzania Fisheries & Aquatic Environment Organization (TAFAEO), CHAWAWAMI (a fishers’ association), FAO and the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. The workshop was jointly opened by Ms Fatma Sobo (who also chaired the workshop), Ag. Director of Fisheries and Mr. Charles Tulahi, Programme Officer, FAO Tanzania Office. In her opening remarks, Ms Sobo, who has been the Focal Point of the EAF-Nansen Project in Tanzania since its inception, provided the historical background to the workshop and the AFMP. She acknowledged the support provided by the EAF-Nansen Project and SWIOFP. She also appreciated the effort made by FAO through the surveys of the R/V Dr Fridtjof Nansen and recalled the fish stock assessment survey conducted in territorial waters of Tanzania in April 2018.

Participants identified activities in the AFMP logframe that are already receiving support from the World Bank-assisted SWIOFish project, discussed the rest of the activities and selected some for support by the EAF- Nansen Programme. Participants also discussed the activities proposed for a Memorandum of Understanding that will be concluded between the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of Tanzania and the FAO Representation in Tanzania (on behalf of the EAF-Nansen Programme) for the support. Other proposed activities included in the MOU are the establishment and implementation of a Fisheries Management Cycle in Tanzania, capacity development and tracking of EAF implementation using the revised EAF Tracking Tool.

The participant from TAFIRI informed participants about activities being carried out under SWIOFish and related to the scientific study of the small and medium pelagic fisheries. The CSO representative informed the participants that CSOs act as an interface between the Government and communities and are established for several which for TAFAEO, is sustainable management of fishery resources. He highlighted activities in the AFMP that concern awareness creation in community that CSOs could be involved in. The CHAWAWAMI representative noted the role of fishers’ associations as including sensitizing the communities on the issues related to resources utilization and management. He emphasised that as the main users of the resources, the communities should be involved in the implementation of the AFMP.