A Dissertation Submitted to MUDCC in Fulfillment of the Requirements for Award of the Degree of Master of Public Administration (MPA) Dares Salaam Campus College of Mzumbe University 2014The present ambition of the Tanzania government is among others to eradicate poverty in the local artisanal fishing communities. It was envisioned that this objective could better be achieved through among other poverty reduction strategies is co-management hence the formation of Beach Management Units in the local fishing communities. The main purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of fishery co management on poverty reduction in the poor artisanal fishing communities in the Lake Victoria basin. The BMU institution is used as case sturdy to provide information on impact of implementation of fisheries co management in the fishing communities. The study was designed as a case study in order to provide qualitative descriptions. A sample of 100 units from three lake side villages was selected both through a simple random and purposive sampling techniques whereas methods of data collection involved were interviews, focused group discussions and participant observation in obtaining primary data. Again, document analysis was used to provide seminal texts on the subject matter of fisheries co-management. The study reveals that the fisheries co management has not reversed the trends of illegal fishing practices in the lake Victoria basin, instead it has been used to inform the poachers about the government surveillance in the lake. Second, Local fishers incomes have not improved such that many fishers fail to pay the school fees for their children. Education has not been improved as many children still dropout because of early pregnancies for girls and lack of guardian’s support for both boys and girls. Health services are poor and inaccessible as health centers are remotely located combined with inability to afford the costs thereof. Poverty is persistent in the local fishing communities. It is better to consider not only the management practices but also the sociological context of the fishing communities when planning to reduce poverty in these communities. Policies must aim at providing them with multiple economic choices in their sociological context in order to reduce vulnerability.