ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME STATUS IN TANZANIA

This report documents a validation workshop held on October 21, 2008, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, regarding the status of environmental crime in the country. The workshop was part of the Environmental Crime Project (ECP), implemented by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in partnership with the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO). The document outlines the current environmental legal framework, identifies critical gaps in existing research, details specific types of environmental crimes affecting Tanzania, and provides recommendations for improving enforcement and inter-agency coordination.

• Tanzania possesses significant biodiversity, with over 11,000 plant species, 310 mammal species, 960 bird species, 127 amphibian species, and 244 reptile species. Wildlife management accounts for 43% of the total land area, including 15 national parks, 34 game reserves, 38 game control areas, and 143 hunting blocks, while 40% of the land is forest cover.
• The legal framework for environmental management is primarily governed by the National Environmental Policy (NEP), drafted in 1996 and completed in 1997, and the Environmental Management Act (EMA) of 2004. The EMA re-established the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) and provides the legal basis for pollution control, waste management, and environmental impact assessments.
• Illegal fishing is a major environmental crime in Tanzania, with the European Union estimating that 70 ships operate illegally to harvest tuna, kingfish, lobsters, and prawns. Additionally, dynamite fishing is estimated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism to cause 110 deaths annually and deter tourists from marine attractions.
• Organized illegal logging results in the loss of millions of dollars in timber revenue annually, often facilitated by corruption and poor governance within the forestry sector. Specific instances of enforcement include the impoundment of 157 containers of illegal logs in 2004 and the discovery of 4,000 pieces of illegally harvested timber.
• Pollution is a critical issue, particularly in cities where untreated solid and liquid wastes are common. In Dar es Salaam, sewerage systems often discharge waste directly into the ocean. Mercury pollution from gold mining has led to health problems, including nausea, body weakness, and deformed babies, due to the lack of personal protective equipment for miners.
• The workshop identified several gaps in the initial research report, including a lack of data on the role of law enforcement agencies (CID, police, and judiciary), the motivations of law breakers, and the link between environmental crime and human security. It also noted a need for an environmental crime profile and strategies to detect changing tactics, such as the use of timber to finance terrorism through money laundering.
• To curb environmental crimes, the report recommends that the Ministry for Livestock and Fisheries and the Tanzania People's Defense Forces (TPDF) use military vessels to patrol the Indian Ocean and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) to prevent the theft of marine resources by foreign firms.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2008). ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME STATUS IN TANZANIA. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECPTANZREP211008.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME STATUS IN TANZANIA. 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECPTANZREP211008.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME STATUS IN TANZANIA |date=21 October 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECPTANZREP211008.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2008environmental, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME STATUS IN TANZANIA}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECPTANZREP211008.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }