AT A CROSSROADS: Will Zanzibar lead East Africa as number 1 blue economy?
Both Tanzania and Kenya are increasingly having a conversation about the importance of ensuring that the blue economy grows.
Recently, the principal secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock and Fisheries Development of Zanzibar, Dr Islam Seif Salum, was reported by The Citizen putting into perspective the need for ensuring proper mechanisms are put in place to increased blue economy role in helping Tanzania attain the vision of becoming a middle-income economy by 2025.
He was speaking at the national consultation on sustainable blue economy conference.
He said fisheries sector alone in Isles contributes 2.6 per cent GDP and provides substantial employment. All this can be improved, greatly.
In the first place, when we talk about this, it is about how we manage the ‘blue’ resources, for the better of motherland. “Blue” here stands for the ocean and water resources in general. In economic terms, we have fisheries and aquaculture, maritime transport and logistics services, we have extractive industries thatv (involve seabed mining, oil and gas etc), there is tourism and so on.
Considering that Zanzibar is one of the Indian Ocean islands and a part of Tanzania, it is of paramount importance and natural, that our land, our people must gain from the blue economy. Zanzibar can lead the way as number 1 blue economy in the region.
For the mainland, we have a number of lakes and rivers, that sets our motherland apart, and are part of our identity as a nation that we are very proud of. All these parts of the blue economy, we must find more ways to benefit from them.
There are a number of significant happenings that will shape the blue economy, and it’s only prudent for the public to keep an eye, so as to take advantage of the emerging business opportunities.
According to FAO, last year in September, President John Magufuli asked the organisation to help in ascertaining the quantity, types and distribution of fish in Tanzania’s Indian Ocean waters. A two week research (April 4 to 19 this year) was done with a Norwegian marine research vessel that will establish the stated dynamics. A FAO newsletter quotes Chief Secretary John Kijazi hailing the research as timely. He alluded that data on fisheries generated will help on decision-making in tapping into fisheries sector opportunities.
In another development in Zanzibar, a semi-commercial marine hatchery is being constructed, whose completion will go a long way to support the fishing industry in Tanzania and other East African States. According to Zanzibar‘s minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Rashid Ali, the completion will see the beginning of “production fish fingerings at reasonable costs for our local and regional markets.” The project will generate new revenue stream and create employment.
Kenya is set to host the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference this week, what its government is taunting as “the first global conference on the sustainable blue economy.”
The conference will lead a global conversation on four cross-cutting issues- new technologies and innovation for oceans, seas, lakes and rivers; challenges, potential opportunities, priorities and partnerships; financing for blue economy; and women, youth and the blue economy.
These are important themes, which if nations will take them seriously, the future outcome will be a huge increase in blue economy based activities. Seychelles which is said to net more revenue from Blue Economy, compared to many African states, last January approved “Blue Economy Strategic Framework and Roadmap.” According to the European Commission, the global blue economy will “grow twice the rate of the mainstream economy by 2030.” Our eyes must stay open, and we avoid exploitation.
