Enhancing the Tanzanian blue economy through sustainable fisheries and a healthy marine environment

Over 10 million Tanzanians depend on a healthy marine environment for their livelihood. Most of this is due to
artisanal fisheries, which provides food and income for coastal communities. However, the productivity of the marine
ecosystem is threatened by climate change, marine pollution and over-exploitation of resources. These multiple
environmental stressors influence (1) entire food webs from primary producers to higher trophic levels (fish), (2)
bioaccumulation of toxic substances, (3) productivity of fish stocks and (4) the health and existence of fisherydependent coastal communities and value chains
ECOFISH addresses these multiple environmental challenges with a focus on sustainable fisheries and pollutant
effects on biota, foodwebs and seafood under changing climate for the benefit of Tanzanian coastal community
resilience and adaptation.
ECOFISH will address these challenges by1) expanding knowledge of the current state of fish stocks and the
marine environment (e. g., via new baseline ecological sampling, experimental studies and structured interviews
with fishers and other holders of Local Ecological Knowledge); 2) improving models and predictions for fisheries
under future climate change, exploitation and pollution scenarios; 3) providing new science-based
recommendations for management options that can help Tanzania achieve UN SDGs and Ocean Decade
objectives; 4) co-creating and proposing adaptation options (e.g., more accessible and timely weather hazard
forecasts) for coastal communities with community stakeholder groups, policy- and decision-makers and scientists
5) building capacity and literacy on marine environment and sustainable fisheries issues at all levels of the society