Regional stakeholders in the blue economy sector have underscored the urgent need for East African countries to harmonize policies governing migratory tuna species and other shared marine resources across the region.
Speaking during a regional forum, experts emphasized the importance of cross-border collaboration to promote sustainable fisheries and ensure accountability among foreign fishing vessels operating in regional waters.
“We have three species of tuna fish which are the most preferred in the market, but foreign vessels come and fish in our waters without disclosing the tonnage they catch. Whatever they declare cannot be verified — hence the need for policies that mandate them to reveal their actual tonnage. This will bring sanity,” said Reginald Ndindagi, Senior Policy Manager at WWF Tanzania.
Ndindagi further stressed the importance of conducting fish stock analyses before issuing fishing permits, calling for stronger cooperation among countries in the region to ensure the long-term success of fisheries management initiatives.
On her part, Doreen Simiyu, the Regional Coordinator of the South West Indian Ocean Tuna Forum, highlighted the positive strides made through stakeholder engagement, noting that civil society organizations and other actors now have a deeper understanding of blue economy principles.
“The program has significantly impacted CSOs and other stakeholders across the region. They now have full knowledge of what the blue economy entails,” Simiyu said.
However, she cited limited financing as a major challenge, given the vast coastline and the numerous registered Beach Management Units (BMUs) that require continuous support.
“Many of these BMUs have minimal financial muscle, making it difficult to reach them effectively. We are calling for more partnerships to help us cover the entire coastline,” she added.
Simiyu expressed gratitude to development partners for their collaboration, which she said has enabled the program to make tangible progress.
“We thank our partners for their collaboration, which has made a real impact in this project. We now call on more partners to come aboard so we can reach even more people,” she said.
The regional blue economy program has already led to the formulation of several policy frameworks that are expected to be adopted by governments across the region to safeguard marine resources and promote sustainable utilization.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that the policies and engagements developed over the past four years will help shape the future of the blue economy — a sector increasingly viewed as a frontier for job creation and a key driver of regional GDP growth.
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