At the construction site of the Kirwa Fishing Port in the Lindi Region of southeastern Tanzania, a 315 meter long pier like a steel arm extends into the sea, and supporting facilities such as cold storage, trading markets, office buildings, and sewage treatment stations are being vigorously constructed. This is about to witness the great development of Tanzania's blue ocean economy, and the builder of this modern fishing port is none other than China's Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd.  

The Prime Minister personally gave a thumbs up and the project received high praise

On December 19, 2025, Tanzanian Prime Minister Mwigulu Encemba visited the Kirwa Fishing Port project and highly praised the progress of the construction. During communication with local government officials and residents, Encemba pointed out that the Kirwa Fishing Port is one of Tanzania's key strategic projects, and its completion will leave important and lasting results for the country's development. I am very satisfied with the progress of the construction of this project. It is one of Tanzania's many strategic projects, and once completed, it will have a profound impact on the country's development. "Encemba said that the construction of the Kirwa Fishing Port marks the substantive implementation stage of a number of major projects in Tanzania's 2050 Vision.  

This fishing port, constructed by China Harbour Engineering Co., Ltd., is Tanzania's first modern large-scale fishing port, covering an area of about 5.6 hectares and designed to unload 60000 tons of fish annually, which can meet the docking conditions of large ocean going fishing vessels. Since the project started in February 2023, various processes such as harbor dredging, cast-in-place pile construction, land backfilling, foundation treatment, and beam and slab prefabrication have been fully initiated.

Build demonstration projects to create employment and increase income

During the inspection, the Tanzanian Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Bachiru Ali, stated that the government will ensure that the port plays its due role in creating employment and increasing fiscal revenue, and will make it a successful demonstration project for public investment. Ali pointed out that due to the advanced construction standards of the port, relevant departments have initiated procedures to certify the fishing port according to regional and international standards, in order to improve its operation and management level. In addition, Ali also called on the private sector to actively participate in supporting industry investments, including fishing vessel fuel supply, fish processing industry, and port operation services, to fully unleash the economic potential of the project.  

The fishing port project has created nearly 600 job positions on site, including skilled positions such as welders, crane operators, and excavator operators. Each Chinese engineer led more than ten Tanzanian workers to enhance the practical skills of local workers through systematic training. After the completion of the project, these trained workers are fully capable of employment in the port related fields.  

Promote the blue economy and enhance the competitiveness of the fishing industry

Tanzania has a coastline of 1424 kilometers, an exclusive economic zone of 3320 square kilometers, and a territorial sea area of 6400 square kilometers. The vast sea area contains abundant fishery resources. However, for a long time, due to the lack of modern fishing ports, large fishing boats have been unable to dock, and fishermen can only engage in small-scale fishing near the coast for a long time. The catch is prone to decay and deterioration, and the income is extremely unstable.  

The completion of the Kilois Fishing Port project will completely change this situation. After the project is put into operation, advanced cold storage and trading markets will completely solve the problem of preservation, allowing fishermen to no longer worry about unsold fish and providing protection for the preservation of offshore fish. This will not only effectively increase the level of fishery income and improve people's livelihoods, but also make a positive contribution to the increase of national fiscal revenue. Keywords: international news, international news and information

The Tanzanian government has listed accelerating the development of the blue economy as one of its top priorities, and has established a Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries with the aim of promoting deep-sea resource development, facilitating water transportation and fisheries development in oceans, rivers, and lakes by enhancing marine development and aquatic biotechnology. The smooth progress of the Kirwa Fishing Port project is an important manifestation of Tanzania's blue economy development strategy.Editor/Yang Meiling