Aquaculture
Aquaculture contributed 33,825.85 tonnes to Tanzania's total 2023 fisheries production of 513,802.47 tonnes, anchoring a sector whose harvested fish value rose to TZS 3,429 billion in FY 2024/25.[1]
Aquaculture is a flagship sub-sector within Tanzania's Blue Economy pillar, producing farmed fish, seaweed, seagrass, and sea cucumbers across freshwater and marine environments.
The country's natural endowment, a 1,424-kilometer coastline and 61,500 square kilometers of freshwater resources, gives aquaculture operators access to some of Africa's most productive waters, including Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Nyasa.[3]
Sector Contribution and Production Performance
The wider fisheries sector contributed 1.7% to GDP in 2024/2025 and supports about six million Tanzanians along its value chain.
In 2023, Tanzania produced 513,802.47 tonnes of fisheries products, of which aquaculture supplied 33,825.85 tonnes.[1]
Natural water fishing accounted for the remaining 479,976.62 tonnes, with freshwater fishing contributing 85% of that catch and marine fishing the remaining 15%.
Aquaculture's product mix spans farmed fish, seaweed, seagrass, and sea cucumbers, giving Tanzania a diversified portfolio of farmed aquatic commodities.
Harvested Value FY 2024/25
The combined value of harvested fish from natural waters and aquaculture climbed to TZS 3,429 billion in FY 2024/25.
This represents a clear increase from TZS 3,174 billion recorded in FY 2023/24, reflecting both rising volumes and stronger price realisation.
The aquaculture share of national fish output, at roughly 6.6% in 2023, signals significant headroom for expansion as farmed production scales relative to wild capture.
Fishery Product Exports
By April 2025, total fishery product exports reached 44,317.78 tonnes.
This is a 7.38% increase compared with 41,271.07 tonnes shipped in 2023/2024.
Nile Perch fillets remained the leading fishery export product over the period, supplying processed white-fish markets abroad.
Natural Resource Base
Tanzania's aquaculture potential is underpinned by a 1,424-kilometer coastline that supports both marine fishing and marine farming operations.[3]
Freshwater resources cover 61,500 square kilometers, equivalent to about 6.5% of total land area.
Almost half of Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika lies within Tanzania, while the country also holds 800 kilometers of shoreline on Lake Nyasa.
Major river systems, including the Rufiji, one of the largest in Africa, add further capacity for cage and pond farming developments.
Policy Framework
Blue Economy Alignment
Aquaculture is embedded in Sector 6 (Blue Economy) of Tanzania's strategic sector agenda, which targets the sustainable exploitation of marine and freshwater resources, the promotion of aquaculture, and expansion of port infrastructure.
Agricultural Master Plan 2050
The Agricultural Master Plan 2050 provides a long-term roadmap for modernising the crops, livestock, and fisheries sectors as Tanzania pursues higher middle-income status by 2050.[2]
The plan prioritises expanded irrigated land, improved inputs, mechanisation, stronger extension services, and reduced post-harvest losses.
It also aims to improve access to local and international markets, strengthen research and development, accelerate technology adoption, and reform policy and regulation to facilitate trade and value addition.
Priority Commodity Status
Aquaculture is explicitly listed as a prioritised commodity under the Agricultural Master Plan 2050, alongside wheat, soybeans, poultry, and fertilizer.
The plan commits to accelerating the development of commercial activities for these priority commodities, raising processing of specific commodities tenfold via warehouses and market linkages, and lifting regional and international agricultural exports to USD 6 billion.
To accelerate implementation, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) introduced the Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania initiative in 2025, building on the earlier Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor framework.
Investment Opportunities
Aquaculture is among the areas where investment is actively encouraged within the Livestock and Fisheries sectors.
Fish cage farming and deep-sea aquaculture are highlighted as priority entry points designed to meet rising demand for aquaculture products, especially fish.[3]
Deep sea fishing, including agreements with foreign fishing companies, offers a complementary route into Tanzania's wider blue economy value chain.
Fish processing plants represent a value-addition opportunity that aligns with the master plan's tenfold processing expansion target and the USD 6 billion export ambition.
Fish feed production is encouraged to support the input side of the value chain as farmed-fish volumes scale.
Marine aquaculture is specifically promoted for high-value marine organisms, namely sea cucumber, crab, and seaweed, leveraging the 1,424-kilometer coastline.
Together these segments form an integrated investment proposition spanning grow-out, inputs, processing, and export of farmed aquatic products.
Last Update: May 2026
References
- https://www.mifugouvuvi.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1756496407-Sera%20ya%20Taifa%20ya%20Uchumi%20wa%20Buluu%20ya%20Mwaka%202024.pdf (Guide reference #69)
- https://tanzaniaslovakia.sk/ws/media-library/21b3183f837a4485af13f5a885da3938/tanzania-agriculture-master-plan-2050_master-plan_.pdf (Guide reference #70)
- https://www.fao.org/4/t0473e/T0473E09.htm (Guide reference #73)
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