THE government in partnership with development partners and the private sector has developed strategies to harness the potential of the blue economy to promote sustainable development.

Abdallah Hassan Mitawi, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Vice President’s Office (Union) made the statement on Monday in Arusha during the opening of a workshop aimed at preparing implementation of the National Blue Economy Policy.

Mitawi emphasized that the launch of the National Blue Economy Policy 2024, along with its Implementation Strategy for 2024–2034 earlier this year sets a clear roadmap for maximizing the value of the country’s ocean and freshwater resources.

“This action plan is a vital tool for achieving the goals and objectives set out in the National Blue Economy Policy, especially for the 2024/25 to 2025/26 period,” he said.

He highlighted the government’s commitment to transforming the blue economy into a major driver of national development.

He added that development of detailed implementation plans for the next two years would ensure Tanzania achieves the policy’s targets, contributing to national productivity and economic prosperity.

“Tanzania is endowed with vast water resources, including 64,000 square kilometres of national waters and 223,000 square kilometres within our exclusive economic zone. The resources offer immense potential for growth and sustainability across multiple sectors,” he said.

Mitawi noted that the blue economy in Tanzania spans a wide range of industries, including fisheries, energy, transport, tourism, natural resource management, water and irrigation, mining, environmental conservation, investment, manufacturing and trade.

He further highlighted the role of various policy and legal frameworks that have been established to manage and coordinate blue economy activities across sectors.

Among the achievements in 2023, Tanzania reported positive progress in blue economy initiatives, including production of 513,802.47 tonnes of fishery products, valued at 3.5trn/-.

The amount includes 479,976.62 tonnes from natural fishing (85 percent from freshwater and 15 percent from marine fishing) and 33,825.85 tonnes from aquaculture such as fish farming, seaweed cultivation and sea cucumber farming.

Other key developments are the discovery of 57.54 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with 47.13 trillion cubic feet found in deep waters of the Indian Ocean.

Additionally, Tanzania saw growth in its tourism sector, with eight tourist vessels bringing in 965 international visitors.

The country also made major strides in improving rural water access, increasing coverage from 58 percent in 2018 to 77 percent in 2023.

Amon Manyanya, a representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), expressed continued support for Tanzania’s blue economy initiatives.

He reiterated that UNDP will maintain its collaboration with the government and other stakeholders to ensure long-term success of the programmes.