The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar recognises the role of the blue economy in promoting socio-economic development through better stewardship of the sea and related resources. This involves the utilisation of maritime and marine resources to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth as well as creating employment opportunities. By reaping the economic potential of the sea without depleting the ecosystem, the initiative aims to protect the marine environment through the sustainable use of biodiversity, carbon sequestration and coastal resilience.
As an archipelago, Zanzibar relies heavily on the sea for both social and economic activities. However, the sea and coast of Zanzibar face increasing pressure from existing activities such as shipping, fishing and tourism. This is compounded by the potential generation of alternative energy, along with oil and gas exploration, which will create an additional strain on our marine resources. Coupled with this, the resources are overwhelmed by several challenges stemming from rapid population growth, climate change and maritime insecurity.
Zanzibar’s strategic geographical position gives it a comparative advantage in harnessing the benefits of the sea-based economy. For more than two decades, Zanzibar’s economy has been dominated by the tourism-led service sector. In addition to this, small scale fishing and maritime trade have been the major activities calling for the use of marine resources. The waters off the coast of Zanzibar not only attract thousands of tourists annually seeking sun, sea and sand, but they are also rich in precious commodities ranging from food to energy and ornaments as well as transportation. These can act as major drivers of sustainable economic growth and the well-being of the people. Moving forward, the blue economy presents vast opportunities for socio-economic development in Zanzibar. This requires joint efforts for all stakeholders to support the Government in order to take the economy to greater heights.
The Zanzibar Development Vision 2050 regards the blue economy as a priority area for the next 30 years, serving as an effective and sustainable means of improving livelihoods and transforming the economy. The blue economy policy has thus been developed as a guiding framework for the implementation of the sea-based economy for the coming decade.
The blue economy policy aims to work in the following priority areas: fisheries and aquaculture, maritime trade and infrastructure, energy, tourism and marine and maritime governance. Through the implementation of this policy, Zanzibar has the opportunity to increase employment, improve the balance of trade, promote food and nutritional security and maintain environmental resilience. Subsequently, by 2030, given the effective operationalisation of the policy, we expect Zanzibar to be the leading hub for blue economy activities in the Western Indian Ocean region.