Rights and governance

It is encouraging to note that fisherfolk and villagers along the coast of Tanzania have successfully asserted their rights and accessed some of the relevant institutions dealing with basic rights in several instances (Bryceson et al., 2015; Beymer-Farris et al., 2019). Most important has been the right to a livelihood through legitimate involvement in activities such as fishing and thus ensuring nutritional and balanced diet for their food security. Women's rights along the coasts of Tanzania and Zanzibar are a crucial aspect, for example in relation to their gendered access rights to particular coastal resources, for example seaweed ("mwani") farming (Moshy & Bryceson, 2016). The main challenges to human rights and governance issues have included interventions by the State and commercial companies that prevent coastal peoples from accessing the working spaces they have been utilising for centuries. Restrictive measures and forceful evictions in the name of conservation, privatization of coastal areas, along with harassment and confiscation of fishing boats and other gear have become frequent events.