DAR ES SALAAM: FOR generations, Tanzania’s fisheries trade has relied on face to face negotiations, informal brokers and fragmented supply chains that often left fishers with little bargaining power and buyers struggling to secure reliable supplies. Today, that model is beginning to change. The government has invested 185,000 US dollars in TANFISH Market, a digital trading platform designed to modernise fish marketing, improve price transparency and connect fishers directly with processors, exporters, hotels and institutional buyers.
Although still in its early stages, the platform represents a broader shift towards digitalising Tanzania’s blue economy, where technology is increasingly viewed as a tool for improving productivity, attracting investment and expanding market access. Within its first year, TANFISH Market has registered more than 500 users and facilitated nearly two metric tonnes of fish sales. Developers now aim to increase monthly trading volumes to 10 tonnes, a milestone they believe will demonstrate the commercial viability of digital fish trading.
Developed jointly by the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), the platform forms part of Tanzania’s wider strategy to modernise fisheries while reducing inefficiencies that have long constrained the industry’s growth. Despite its importance to food security, employment and export earnings, Tanzania’s fisheries sector continues to face structural challenges, including fragmented markets, inadequate cold storage, weak logistics, limited financing and post-harvest losses. Researchers behind TANFISH Market believe digital technology can help address many of those constraints by improving market information, shortening supply chains and creating transparent business records that financial institutions can trust.
“Fisheries remain a critical sector for Tanzania’s economy, contributing to food security, nutrition, employment and livelihoods for millions of people,” said Dr Nyabenyi Tipo, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative in Tanzania. She noted that many smallscale fishers and processors continue to struggle because of limited market access, poor information, climate-related challenges, illegal fishing and inadequate financing. “The TANFISH Digital Market System demonstrates how digital transformation can bridge the gap between producers,…
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