Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) was established by the Act of Parliament No. 6 of 1980 to promote, conduct, and co-ordinate fisheries research in Tanzania. The idea of establishing TAFIRI came after the collapse of the East African Community in 1977. Before the collapse, the Community had several functions, among which include fisheries research and development.
After the collapse of the Community, all matters related to fisheries and fisheries research were vested to the Fisheries Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Since the Fisheries Department is not mandated to carrying out research, it was deemed necessary to establish a fisheries research institution, which should cater for fisheries research in the country.
However, the Institute never operated independently until the Board of Directors was named in May, and the Director General appointed in August 1983. The Institute's headquarters is located at the newly built (2005) Coelacanth House in Kunduchi (Dar es Salaam).
TAFIRI KIGOMA
Kigoma Centre being one of the four centers was established in 1973 by the Ministry of Tourism, Natural Resources, and the Environment with the aim of assessing the fishery on Lake Tanganyika. For the first five years, Kigoma Centre was run in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
TAFIRI Kigoma Centre is located on the eastern shore (in kigoma Municipality) of the most glorious places on the planet Lake Tanganyika. Lake Tanganyika is well known for its clear waters and stunning biodiversity which include some 300+ colorful cichlid fish species which are known around the globe in the aquarium business. The lake is also known for its product pelagic fisheries supporting over one million people in terms of cheap fish protein and income.However,the lake is being affected by climate change and warming which together with fishing effort and sedimentation from the catchment are the changing the ecosystem function and balance, thereby affecting the fisheries sustainability.It is in these setting TAFIRI Kigoma is operating to advise the government of the United Republic of Tanzania in ensuring that the fisheries is sustainable and that the lake continue to provide services to the communities.
TAFIRI Kigoma Centre is currently collaborating with the University of Aarhus (Denmark), Illinois State University (USA),..Read more
TAFIRI Kigoma is also collaborating with the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.. Read more
TAFIRI Kigoma Centre is working with the Nature Conservancy through their flagship program in the Lake Tanganyika...Read more