WorldFish
British High Commissioner to Tanzania, Marianne Young, and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) East Africa Head, Lisa Mackie joined WorldFish and national partner, Zanzibar Fisheries and Marine Resources Research Institute (ZAFIRI) recently to see firsthand how the Asia–Africa BlueTech Superhighway (AABS) project is advancing marine innovation, governance, and sustainable livelihoods across Tanzania's coastal communities.
Supported by the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, AABS activities in Tanzania are combining digital tools, climate-smart technologies, and community-led incentives to strengthen the resilience of small-scale fisheries.
The visit highlighted several key areas of progress. One major focus is the development of digital information systems that help coastal communities manage their fisheries more sustainably.
Over 100 small-scale vessels in Zanzibar are now equipped with GPS trackers, backed by real-time data collection and oceanographic monitoring in collaboration with Tanzanian research institutions.
In parallel, AABS supported work on aquatic food loss and waste includes piloting technologies and conducting assessments in selected coastal sites. In Mafia and Kilwa, fishers and processors are piloting solar-powered drying and cold storage systems, and improved seaweed processing equipment.
To promote conservation and local stewardship, AABS is working with communities to identify and test incentive-based models. From gear exchange schemes and turtle nest protection to co-managed octopus closures, these locally embedded mechanisms are being studied through selected case studies. In Zanzibar, a new eco-credit system called MKUBA is being trialled to explore how access to savings and loans can incentivise compliance with sustainable fishing practices.
During the visit, ZAFIRI director Dr. Zakaria Hamisi, emphasized that these activities are helping build the institutional foundation for evidence-based marine governance in Zanzibar. For example, data from vessel trackers is beginning to inform analysis of spatial fishing patterns and support marine spatial planning efforts. Planned innovations such as a digital seafood marketplace and financial inclusion tools are intended to help fishers, particularly women and youth, gain market access and build credit histories.
Dr. Hamisi also noted that AABS is helping fill an essential evidence gap for institutions like ZAFIRI, supporting their role in stock assessments, marine spatial planning, and the development of evidence-based policy.
The UK delegation expressed strong support for the initiative. Lisa Mackie noted the importance of connecting AABS work with other FCDO-supported efforts, including the UK Hydrographic Office’s bathymetric mapping programme, which complements marine spatial planning activities underway in Tanzania.
The visit provided an opportunity to demonstrate how AABS supported activities in Zanzibar are contributing to marine spatial planning, improved fisheries data systems, reduced post-harvest losses, and locally driven conservation approaches. It also highlighted the importance of continued collaboration between WorldFish, national institutions like ZAFIRI, and the UK Government in advancing sustainable and inclusive coastal development.