China can be rich and ranks first in the world of fishing history but most of its people might not necessarily have fishing experience, different from Bagamoyo District whose 90% of old people today, were once fishermen.

 There is absolutely no one faculty in the World that would understand a professor’s illiterate child complaining about how lack of knowledge made him so, unless he clarifies the situation with real valid documents. Likewise; it is unbelievable for a citizen outside Bagamoyo to relate the natives’ whine about not affording fishes in their own fishery town…but that is just the reality. 

In recent years Bagamoyo has witnessed a rapid fishing industry growth that created a high demand mostly on the external market while leaving a majority of residents whose income is average; in deprived, hopeless and even cursed out the blessing saying it is useless.

Speaking to Tanzanienne a local farmer Mama Ali said all the quality fishes are sold to the neighbor regions, leaving the common ones for the locals at yet unaffordable price.

“We don’t know the taste of fishes anymore. Five years ago, it was common to opt for a bowl of fish soup for a breakfast because we could get a 10litre bucket of fish for just 3000/-. Today that same amount of money won’t even get you a quarter kg of sardine, this is unacceptable”. Complained Mama Ali.

Watching these acts happening before their eyes, the residents insisted that the people of Authority must review the incident closely and make a fair decision for both sides’ benefits.

 What is the history telling us!

Being its own unique historical heritage, Bagamoyo has gained the popularity through different historical, cultural and traditional activities of which some of them are still active to date such as fishing.

Fishing in Bagamoyo has started in the nineteenth century where the fishermen did not take it as a serious generating income job rather they practiced it for commodities exchange, a source of food and most of all a daily activity. Parallel to Masai tradition who receives the number of cows as the daughters’ dowry; the chiefs in Bagamoyo at the time would not ask for money to give their daughters away, instead they simply ordered some kilos of fish or fishing boat as an exchange. However after industry revolution things have reversed where fishing has now become the main source of income not only for the citizens, but the neighbor regions. 

The Zaramo and Kwere are the native people of Bagamoyo although due to the investment and business opportunities, high flow of tourists to the historical sites and Museums in recent years, the town has been loaded by several tribes from other parts of the country such as Pemba, Tanga, Dar es Salaam and Morogoro. 

Explaining to this magazine the Tour guide at the Tourist Information Centre in Bagamoyo Ibrahim Juma said, fishing has become the number one District economy booster and has attracted a deep attention from outsiders whose access to the market is made even simpler after the construction of new road which takes a root from Dar es Salaam passing Bagamoyo to Tanga, Arusha, Moshi and vice versa. 

“Fishing has become expensive these days. All the mentioned regions come to buy tones of fishes from Bagamoyo something that make this town a busy place and create more business opportunities. The Pemba have become so high in number and are the ones who have dominated the market” He said.

Despite of focusing more on growing the external market; Ibrahim said there is significant figure of fishermen who have highly benefited the fruits of their own efforts and continue to do so because they have committed their lives to get quality. Some of them; have exclusively targeted on the local business such as foreign hotels and restaurants where they sell special variety of fish which may cost up to 300,000/- per one fish.

 “Most of the fishermen own their houses, farms and other properties. Children are brought to schools and reach colleges because of fishing.

By Khadija Amri