(1) A person shall not buy, sell, possess, export or otherwise trade fish or fish products taken or obtained in contravention of this Act. (2) A person who contravenes this section commits an offense and shall, upon conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding the maximum amount described in the Second Schedule to this Act, and in addition, all fish or fish products shall be seized by the court.

A person shall not introduce into the Exclusive Economic Zone, directly, indirectly, deliberately or accidentally, any deleterious substance, including substances which may have toxic, hazardous or other harmful properties or effects in relation to fish or marine environment. (2) The operator of any fishing vessel shall: (a) take back to port for disposal any unused bait and waste generated on a fishing vessel by fish processing or other human activities; and (b) carry out bunkering operations in compliance with subsection (1). (3) A person shall not, without a written authorization of the Director General, leave in or in a position to enter the Exclusive Economic Zone any fishing gear or any other non-biodegradable object used for fishing after the termination of fishing activity, except in an emergency when the incident is promptly reported to the Director General. (4) The Director General may cause the fishing gear or any other non-biodegradable object referred to in subsection (3) to be removed by any other person authorized for that purpose, and any cost incurred in connection with such removal may be recovered from the person or persons responsible for leaving the gear or object. (5) A person who contravenes subsections (1), (2) or (3), commits an offense and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding the maximum amount set out in the Second Schedule to this Act, and be liable for full compensation in respect of any loss or damage as well as the full cost of restoring the affected habitat to its previous state.

(1) The operator of any fishing vessel in the Exclusive Economic Zone or Tanzanian fishing vessel in any area beyond national jurisdiction or that is within the area of competence of a relevant RFMO shall not intentionally cause or allow a purse seine net to be set around any protected, threatened or endangered cetacean or whale shark if it is sighted prior to the commencement of the set. (2) Where any cetacean or whale shark is unintentionally encircled in a purse seine net, the operator referred to in sub regulation (1) shall- (a) take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe release of any cetacean or whale shark, while taking into consideration the safety of the crew, in accordance with best practice guidelines for the safe release and handling of cetacean or whale shark developed by the subsidiary scientific body of a Scientific Committee of a relevant RFMO; and (b) report the incident to the Director General with the following information- (i) in respect of a cetacean, the species if known; (ii) the number of individuals; (iii) a short description of the interaction, including details of how and why the interaction occurred, if possible; (iv) the location of the encirclement; (v) the steps taken to ensure safe release; and (vi) an assessment of the life status of the animal on release, including whether the cetacean or whale shark was released alive but subsequently died. (3) An operator who uses gear types other than purse seiners for fishing tuna and tuna-like species associated with cetacean or whale shark shall report all interactions with cetacean or whale shark to the Director General. (4) The report under sub regulation (3) shall include information as provided under subregulation (2)(b)(i) to–(vi).

(1) The operator of a fishing vessel in the Exclusive Economic Zone, or Tanzanian fishing vessel in any area beyond national jurisdiction or that is within the area of competence of a relevant RFMO equipped with purse seine gear or used as a bait boat that uses Fish Aggregating Devices equipped with instrumented buoys for the purpose of aggregating tuna target species shall- (a) maintain and keep current on board the fishing vessel at all times a Fish Aggregating Devices logbook; (b) mark all artificial Fish Aggregating Devices deployed or modified by the fishing vessels in the area of competence of a relevant RFMO; (c) ensure that the Fish Aggregating Devices are designed and deployed in accordance with the following principles- (i) the surface structure of the Fish Aggregating Devices is not covered, or only covered with non-meshed material; (ii) if a sub-surface component is used, it is not made from netting but from non-meshed materials such as ropes or canvas sheets; and (iii) to reduce the amount of synthetic marine debris, natural or biodegradable materials such as hessian canvas, hemp ropes and others for drifting Fish Aggregating Device is used.

(1) An operator of a fishing vessel in the Exclusive Economic Zone, or Tanzanian fishing vessel in any area beyond national jurisdiction or that is within the area of competence of a relevant RFMO, shall not use, install or operate surface or submerged artificial lights, including on drifting Fish Aggregating Devices, for the purpose of aggregating any tuna or tuna-like species. (2) For the purpose of this regulation “fishing vessel” includes support, supply and auxiliary vessels, in the Exclusive Economic Zone or any Tanzanian fishing vessel within the area of competence of a relevant RFMO.

The Minister shall by notice published in the Gazette impose conditions that are necessary for the proper management of fisheries which are- (q) establishing effective mechanism for fisheries monitoring, surveillance control and enforcement, to ensure compliance with conservation and management measure as well as those adopted by regional or sub regional organizations or arrangements;

Any person, who uses explosives to kill fish or, destroys aquatic flora, commits an offense and upon conviction shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not exceeding ten years. (2) If any person, without lawful excuse the burden of proof which shall be on him is found in possession of explosive within or in the vicinity of any water body, shall be guilty of an offense against this Act, and upon conviction shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year and not exceeding five years.

(1) The Minister may make regulations for the better carrying out of the objects and purposes of this Act and may by such regulations, make provisions which, in his opinion, are necessary or expedient for the purpose of protecting, conserving, developing, regulating or controlling the capture, collection, gathering, processing, storage or marketing of fish, fish products, aquatic flora or products of aquatic flora. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may make regulations - (a) providing for the issuance, suspension and cancellation of licences or authorities granted or given under this Act or any subsidiary legislation made under this Act; (b) prescribing the terms and conditions upon which any such licence or authority may be granted or issued; (c) prescribing the forms of application for licences and responsible authorities; (d) prescribing fees for licences and authorities; (e) requiring all or any category of fishing vessels to be registered; (f) providing for and regulating the description, specifications and form of nets to be used in fishing and the size of the meshes; (g) prohibiting or regulating the use of any description of fishing gear; (h) prohibiting, restricting or regulating the importation into Mainland Tanzania any live fish, other than fish indigenous to Mainland Tanzania; (i) prohibiting or regulating the exportation of fish, aquatic flora or any fish product or product of aquatic flora; (j) prohibiting or restricting the use of explosives for the purpose of fishing; (k) prohibiting or restricting the use of any poisonous chemical or toxic substance for the purpose of fishing; (l) prohibiting or restricting the capturing, collection, removal or destruction of any variety of fish, aquatic flora, product or product of aquatic flora; (m) providing for the protection of critical habitats; (n) preventing the obstruction and pollution of territorial waters; (o) controlling the import and export of fish, aquatic flora, fish products or products of aquatic flora; (p) determining and imposing closed periods; (q) limiting or controlling the number and size of fishing vessels; (r) regulating the marketing of fish, aquatic flora, fishery products or products of aquatic flora; (s) prohibiting, regulating or controlling the activities of foreign fishing vessels within territorial waters; (t) regulating the processing of fish, fish products or aquatic flora or products of aquatic flora; (u) prescribing conditions under which every processor of fish, fish products or products of aquatic flora shall comply; (v) prescribing specifications to which any factory building or other premises used for the purpose of fish processing, storage or sale of any fish, fish product, aquatic flora or product of aquatic flora shall conform; (w) controlling and regulating importation, manufacturing and construction of fishing gears; (x) regulating the structure, functions and powers of authorized associations; (y) regulating the remunerations and fringe benefits for the Unit; (z) providing for and regulating the conditions under which industrial fishing shall be undertaken; (aa) providing for and regulating the manner in which aquaculture shall be undertaken; (bb) providing for the issuance of identification cards and conditions under which they shall be used; (cc) providing for protection of biodiversity of aquatic habitats, ecosystems and endangered species; (dd) regulating artisanal fisheries; (ee) providing for the restoration and recovery of depleted stocks; (ff) providing for and regulating the manner in which genetic resources shall be managed; (gg) providing for marking of fishing gears; (hh) providing for recovery of lost and abandoned fishing gears; (ii) regulating the use of fish aggregating devices; and (jj) providing for data collection and reporting.

(1) Where an authorized officer has reason to believe that, any fishing gear, vessel, fish or fish product has been abandoned for the purpose of avoiding prosecution, he shall apply to court for an order to dispose of the gear vessel, fish or fishery product.

(1) A person shall not- (a) use poison to kill or catch fish; (b) posses fish killed by poison; or (c) use poison to kill and preserve fish and fishery products except for training and research purposes. (2) A person who contravenes the provision of sub-regulation (1) commits an offense and on conviction shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years. (3) An Authorised Officer shall, for the purpose of ascertaining whether a fish has been killed by poison- (a) observe the physical characteristics of the poisoned fish or conduct a rapid test and record the results in Form 9 set out in the First Schedule; or (b) take the samples to an approved laboratory for analysis.

(1) A person shall not posses or use with intent of killing fish, fishing or destroy fishery habitat- (a) an explosives or explosive material; (b) a dynamite; (c) a substance, or a mixture of substances, in a solid, powder or liquid state, which is capable of producing an explosion; (d) any pyrotechnic substance in a solid or liquid state, or a mixture of such substances, designed to produce an explosion by heat, light, sound, gas or smoke including pyrotechnic substances which do not evolve gases; (e) any article, device, detonator or fuse used to initiate explosion; (f) any plastic explosive; or (g) any other substance or article which the Minister responsible for arms and ammunition may by notice in the Gazette declare to be an explosive. (2) A person shall not possess fish killed by explosives, dynamite or any means provided for under sub-regulation (1). (3) Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub regulations (1) or (2) commits an offense and on conviction shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years. (4) For the purpose of ascertaining whether a fish has been killed by explosives, the Authorised Officer shall use Form 4 set out in the First Schedule for evidence on dynamited fish.

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in these regulations a person shall not- (a) manufacture, import, possess, store, stock, or sell monofilament net; (b) use or cause another person to use monofilament net in all fresh water and marine water fisheries; (c) posses, store, sell, use or cause another person to use harpoon guns, spear guns to fish; (d) use any modified seine net of any kind popularly known as “mtando”, “juya la kojani”, “kavogo” or any name as it may be, to catch fish in any water body; (e) use cast net to catch fish in capture fisheries; (f) manufacture, posses, store, sell, use or cause another person to use for fishing a gill net of mesh size less than three inches or 76.2 millimetres in any fresh water body; (g) manufacture, sell, stock, store and possess beach seine net; (h) use or cause another person to use or possess beach seine net in any water body; (i) use vertical integration of nets in any water body; (j) use for fishing drifting method “tembea” in any freshwater water body; (k) posses, use or cause any person to use for fishing ‘dagaa’ fishnet of mesh size less than eight millimetres in any fresh water body; (l) manufacture, posses, store, sell, use or cause another person to use for fishing a gillnet of more than twenty six meshes deep in Lake Victoria (m) practice or cause another person to practice ‘katuli’ for the purpose of fishing in any water body; (n) carry out any fishing activity using trawl net or otherwise engage in trawling in any fresh water body except for prawn and pelagic fishery in marine waters; (o) disturb fish by skin diving or cause another person to disturb fish in any critical habitat such as fish breeding areas, nesting, resting habitats and fish pathways; (p) stun, harm, kill fish by electrification; (q) use self-contained underwater breathing apparatus or Scuba or compressed air breathing equipment of any kind to capture fish, marine invertebrates, aquatic flora or living marine resources. (r) posses, use or cause another person to use for fishing any gear with mesh sizes below one and a half inches or thirty eight millimetres in marine waters except for “dagaa”. (s) posses, use or cause any person to use for fishing ‘dagaa’ fishnet of mesh size less than ten millimetres in marine waters. (t) posses, use or cause another person to use trawl nets with mesh size of less than two inches or forty five millimetres for fishing prawns in marine waters except for approved research and training purposes; (u) posses on board or use or cause another person to use a trawl net with tickler chain in prawn fishing or any other fishing practice; (v) operate or cause another person to operate a trawl net with more than two nets at any trawling time in any water body; (w) posses, use or cause another person to use any dredging and any gear that scraps the sea bed during fishing in any water body except for approved research and training purposes; (x) use stakes and weirs in rivers, lakes, ocean, estuaries, breeding areas, critical habitats and controlled areas. (2) Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus or Scuba or compressed air breathing equipment may be used for sport fishing, capturing of live aquarium fin fish, training and research purpose only. (3) Notwithstanding sub-regulation (1)(e) a person shall not possess, import, sell, use or cause another person to use for fishing, a gill net of mesh size less than six inches or 152.4 millimetres and nine ply in Lake Victoria except for research and training purposes. (4) A person who contravenes this regulation commits an offense and on conviction shall be liable to a fine of not less than two million shillings or to imprisonment for a term of three years or to both.

(1) -A person shall not fish, possess, process, offer for sale, market or export marine and fresh water species, any part or any product of the species recognised as being globally or regionally endangered as listed in the Third Schedule. (2) A person shall not fish, possess, process, offer for sale or market marine turtles, dugong, whale sharks, dolphins or any marine species recognized globally or regionally as endangered species listed in the Third Schedule. (3) A person shall not purposely disturb or destroy the feeding, breeding or nesting ground of marine turtles, dugong, whale shark, dolphins or any other freshwater and marine fish species recognised globally or regionally as endangered listed in the Third Schedule. (4) Any person who accidentally captures live marine turtles, dugong, whale shark, dolphins or any other freshwater and marine fish species listed in the Third Schedule recognised globally or regionally as endangered, shall immediately return the animal to the sea, and shall maintain a logbook of all such captures and report the same to a district or any fisheries office.

(1) -A person shall not fish, possess, process, offer for sale, market or export marine and fresh water species, any part or any product of the species recognised as being globally or regionally endangered as listed in the Third Schedule. (2) A person shall not fish, possess, process, offer for sale or market marine turtles, dugong, whale sharks, dolphins or any marine species recognized globally or regionally as endangered species listed in the Third Schedule. (3) A person shall not purposely disturb or destroy the feeding, breeding or nesting ground of marine turtles, dugong, whale shark, dolphins or any other freshwater and marine fish species recognised globally or regionally as endangered listed in the Third Schedule. (4) Any person who accidentally captures live marine turtles, dugong, whale shark, dolphins or any other freshwater and marine fish species listed in the Third Schedule recognised globally or regionally as endangered, shall immediately return the animal to the sea, and shall maintain a logbook of all such captures and report the same to a district or any fisheries office.