Tanzania: Tasac Stresses On Green Tech for Water Transport

THE Tanzania Shipping Agency Corporation (TASAC) has stressed on the importance of observing green technology for water transport with the focus on mitigating climate change effects and water pollution.

This also goes hand in hand with overseeing standards of boats that transport hundreds of people every month, with the focus of averting marine accidents.

"Private and public owners of boats are informed to adhere to safety rules and regulations that came into force from December last year. Waterways transporters are informed that TASAC is watching their conduct and will not hesitate to retaliate by imposing hefty fines for any one defaulting the law," said Captain Ghadaf Chambo, TASAC's Senior Flag and Port State Control Officer

The standards set per regulations, includes ensuring that all boats have a compulsory third party insurance that would cover passengers and cargoes in case of accidents.

Also the boats are to assure that all passengers are counted and where possible registered as a way of controlling overloading.

He said this while commemorating the world maritime week taking place in Kilwa district of Lind region, where he insisted that all boats and ferry operators are to ensure that their vessels don't spill oil in lakes, and rivers, while plastic and hard garbage are to be handled well and disposed in a good system which is not of negative impact marine lives and environment.

Captain Chambo said that another instituted measure was registering all of the boats plying within the Indian Ocean, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and other water bodies which act as important tools for fishing and human transportation.

"So far TASAC have registered nearly 600 small scale vessels plying in three major lake and rivers, while all transporters are to meant set conditions of environmental safety ,registering seafarers operating them, their qualifications if they meeting basic requirements of operating passengers' marine vessels,"

Tanzania was not alone in protecting water from pollution, as Captain Chambo said that this is being done in cooperation with neighboring countries with which Tanzania shares water borders.

These include Lake Victoria shared with Kenya and Uganda, Lake Tanganyika that is shared with Burundi, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo and around Lake Nyasa that is shared with Malawi.

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