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A boy works along the coast near Kiwengwa village in Zanzibar. Credit: Kizito Makoye/IPSKIWENGWA, Tanzania, March 2 (IPS) - As the tide falls on Zanzibar’s western coast, 13-year-old Asha* moves across the reef, her gown flapping in knee-deep water. She carries a plastic basin and a knife. Since dawn, Asha has been prying octopus and scaling fish for drying and selling.
“I am helping my mother. I don’t want her doing everything alone,” she says.
Along Zanzibar’s west coast, children like Asha are keeping the island’s blue economy running. But a recent study titled Situational Analysis of Child Labour in Coastal and Marine Activities in Zanzibar, conducted by the University of Dar es Salaam found that fishing and related marine activities are the most dangerous forms of child labour in the archipelago.
Researchers who surveyed 90 children working in coastal and marine activities across Kiwengwa, Nungwi and Nyamanzi found that the scale of child labour is far from marginal. According to the study, 93 percent of children engaged in marine work reported extreme fatigue, while 58.6 percent had suffered injuries from fish spines, boat engines or sharp equipment used in fishing and processing. School records from the same communities show that around 20 percent of enrolled pupils dropped out between 2012 and 2015, with involvement in child labour cited as one of the key reasons. Children involved in fishing were also more than twice as likely to miss school periods or fail examinations compared with those not engaged in such work, underlining how deeply marine labour is shaping both the health and education of Zanzibar’s coastal children.
Under Tanzanian law, children under 14 are not allowed to work, while those aged 15 to 17 may do light work that does not harm their health or affect schooling. Hazardous work—including fishing, diving, and hauling heavy nets—is banned for anyone under 18, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment. Despite this legal framework and Tanzania’s commitments to international labour conventions, enforcement remains patchy, especially in informal sectors such as fishing and domestic work, where child labour persists.
“When we asked children why they were working at sea, they said they were simply helping their parents,” said Happiness Moshi, the study’s lead author. “But many were unaware of the risks involved and what they were missing in school.”
For Asha, fishing is routine. When she spots an octopus tucked into a cave, she pulls it with her bare hands, sometimes slicing her fingers on sharp shells.
This graphic illustrates occurrences of child labour in Zanzibar. Credit: Kizoto Makoye/IPSShe rinses each catch in the sea before dropping it into her basin, then joins other women and girls laying fish and octopus in neat rows on wooden racks spread across the open sand.
By early morning the Kiwengwa fish market, located about 45km from Stone town is buzzing with activities. Wooden dhows pull along the shore. The air smells of saltwater and diesel. Lanterns still glowing from the night’s work, before being snuffed one by one.
Bare-chested men wade into the water to steady the boats, while others haul in heavy nets filled with the night’s catch. Fish spill onto tarpaulins, flashing silver in the early morning light. Voices rise — shouted instructions, quick bargaining, bursts of tired laughter. Children move among them, some carrying basins of fish nearly half their size. Others drag coils of damp netting across the sand, their thin arms straining.
Fourteen-year-old Salum* grips a wet rope as a boat moves forward. He has been awake since midnight, helping his uncle prepare for night fishing. School reopened weeks ago. but he has not returned.
“I enjoy fishing in the sea,” he says. “I learn a lot from my uncle.”
The children interviewed confirmed child labour exists as documented in the study and were identified through IPS field reporting.
“Many of these children are toiling in dangerous environments,” Moshi said. “We recorded cases of fatigue and injuries caused by fish spines and boat engines, as well as instances where children dropped out of school because they were involved in fishing.”
In villages along Zanzibar’s western coast, young boys aged 10 paddle boats, dive without protective gear to free tangled nets, or haul heavy catches ashore. Meanwhile Girls engage in scaling, salting and drying fish—or spend hours wading through tidal farms tending seaweed.
Fourteen-year-old Juma* learnt to swim before he learnt to read. Sitting on an overturned boat, he recalls nights when he was nearly drowned by the surging waves.
“Sometimes the sea drags you down,” he says. “If you panic, you don’t come back.”
When Poverty Meets the Tide
For most families at Kiwengwa, child labour is not a bad thing. It’s survival.
Fish stocks have declined as warming waters, coral degradation and overfishing reshape marine ecosystems. Families are unable to make ends meet. When parents are unable to support the family, children step in.
“I don’t find anything wrong with children helping their families. They have been doing it for many years,” says Othman Mahmood Ali, a village elder at Kiwengwa.
According to the researchers, the study avoided blaming parents, noting the close link between poverty and cultural practices. “Many parents in fishing communities believe children must be involved in daily fishing activities to equip them with skills they would need to survive,” Moshi said. “But when that work affects children’s schooling or exposes them to danger, it crosses the line into exploitation.”
The study found that poverty, food shortages and climate pressures are pushing children into marine work. Social protection programmes rarely reach remote fishing villages, and even basic school costs — such as uniforms, supplies and small contributions — can be too expensive for many families.
Asha still attends school, but barely. On mornings when the tide is low, she misses lessons. Her teacher has warned her mother she is falling behind.
“I want to be a nurse,” Asha says.
The Blue Economy Paradox
Zanzibar has positioned itself as a champion of the blue economy, attracting donor support for marine conservation, ecotourism, coral restoration and climate adaptation. Policy papers speak of sustainability and inclusion. Child labour is rarely mentioned.
“The blue economy narrative is very clean,” said Nurdin Ali Maulid, a child rights advocate. “But the labour behind it is not.”
The study found that children are involved at nearly every stage of the marine value chain. Fish cleaned by children are sold in urban markets. Seaweed harvested by girls enters global cosmetic and pharmaceutical supply chains. Yet children remain largely absent from official statistics and inspection systems.
Zanzibar’s authorities say they are trying to close that gap.
“Zanzibar is committed to ensuring that children are protected from exploitative work in our fisheries,” said Makame Chumu Shaalin, the Fishery Coordination Officer. He said the government has launched targeted patrols along key coastal areas to monitor fishing activities and identify cases where children are engaged in hazardous work.
Shaalin said officials are also working with fishing communities to raise awareness about the legal working age and the risks children face.
“We conduct regular workshops with fishers and their families to educate them on children’s rights and the long-term benefits of keeping children in school,” he said.
Licensing reforms are also under way.
“All fishing vessels must now be registered and meet safety standards,” Shaalin said. “This makes it easier for our inspectors to track compliance and intervene when children are found working at sea.”
Authorities have also stepped up data collection, maintaining a registry of fishing activities and reported child labour cases to identify hotspots and track progress.
A childhood measured by the tide
As evening falls in Kiwengwa, boats return and go. Their sails catch the wind to move the boat. Children gather along the shore, ready to unload, clean and carry the day’s catch.
Salum wipes saltwater from his eyes.
“I want to be a teacher,” he says. “But for now, this is my work.”
Zanzibar’s blue economy promises prosperity built on sustainability. Whether that promise can be kept without sacrificing its children remains unclear.
IPS UN Bureau Report
© Inter Press Service (20260302100322) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service
