MORE women and youths are expected to benefit from the Blue Economy programme, which will facilitate seaweed farming, crab fattening, and sea cucumber projects in the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

This was said by Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Abdallah Hamis Ulega on Monday while responding to a supplementary question from Kigamboni MP Faustine Ndugulile.

Dr Ndugulile wanted to know the government's strategy to ensure that the coastal regions benefit from cage fish farming.

In response, Mr Ulega said in the 2022/2023 fiscal year coastal regions in the fish farming programme received 2.1bn/- for seaweed farmers in Tanga and Mtwara regions.

Earlier, Ludewa MP Joseph Kamonga asked the government whether it planned to dish out funds to Ludewa for fish farming projects in cages in Lake Nyasa.

Responding, Minister Ulega said cage fishing in lakes is done in areas that meet the legal and professional criteria.

"The government, through the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI), conducts Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to ensure that the relevant areas meet the criteria before starting investment, the assessment will be done in phases in all lakes countrywide, and we have started with Lake Victoria Regions for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023," he said.

Mr Ulega said in the 2023/2024 fiscal year the government plans to assess Lake Nyasa including Ludewa to identify suitable areas for cage fishing farming.

In addition, he stated that the government will enable TAFIRI to conduct fish farming experiments in collaboration with citizens, including the production of Oreochromis karongae fingerlings.

He said the measure aims at building the capacity of the people in fish farming once the assessment is completed. Also, the step will enable the people of Ludewa and Lake Nyasa, in general to benefit from the credit opportunities available to facilitate cage fish farming.