SAFEGUARDING TANZANIA’S CORAL REEFS: THE CASE OF ILLEGAL BLAST FISHING

This policy brief examines the prevalence and impact of illegal blast fishing in Tanzania, highlighting its role in destroying coral reef ecosystems and threatening the national economy. It argues for a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral governance approach to eliminate the practice through stricter law enforcement, community-led management, and the provision of alternative livelihoods.

• Tanzania is identified as the only African nation where blast fishing—the use of explosives to catch fish—continues to occur on a large scale. The practice is widespread across the entire coastline, from Tanga in the north to Mtwara in the south, including within marine reserves and parks.
• Blast fishing causes severe and potentially irreversible ecological damage. A single explosion can kill most invertebrates and affect all marine species within a 15–20m radius. While some reefs recover, extensive blasting can turn reefs into shifting rubble, making recovery take decades or centuries.
• The practice is driven by economic factors, including unemployment and the high profit margins compared to traditional fishing. A single blast can yield 150–400kg of fish, generating profits between $400 and $1,800. It is linked to transnational organised crime, with explosives sourced from mining, demolition, and road construction enterprises.
• Law enforcement in Tanzania has been hindered by a lack of prosecution and lenient sentencing. Although the revised Fisheries Act of 2003 mandates a minimum five-year sentence for dynamite fishing, actual convictions have resulted in penalties far below this legal minimum, leading to community cynicism.
• The Tanzanian government established the Multi-Agency Task Team (MATT) in 2015 to combat environmental crimes. Led by the Tanzania Police Force, MATT focuses on intelligence-led operations targeting the source of explosives and conducting sea patrols, resulting in 60 arrests and the seizure of 5,312 explosive cartridges.
• Effective mitigation requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving local communities, NGOs, and the private sector. This includes strengthening Beach Management Units (BMUs), implementing coral restoration projects—such as a pilot in Dar es Salaam that restored 5,000m2 of reef in six months—and creating alternative livelihoods like seaweed farming and ecotourism.

APA

Chevallier, R. (2017). SAFEGUARDING TANZANIA’S CORAL REEFS: THE CASE OF ILLEGAL BLAST FISHING. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policy-Insights-46.pdf

Chicago

Chevallier, Romy. SAFEGUARDING TANZANIA’S CORAL REEFS: THE CASE OF ILLEGAL BLAST FISHING. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policy-Insights-46.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chevallier |first1=Romy |title=SAFEGUARDING TANZANIA’S CORAL REEFS: THE CASE OF ILLEGAL BLAST FISHING |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=May 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policy-Insights-46.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chevallier2017safeguarding, author = {Chevallier, Romy}, title = {{SAFEGUARDING TANZANIA’S CORAL REEFS: THE CASE OF ILLEGAL BLAST FISHING}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policy-Insights-46.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }