Blue Economy Push Puts Zanzibar’s Seaweed, Fisheries

Monday 12th January 2026

By inAfrika Newsroom

Zanzibar’s blue economy push is moving from slogans to programmes, and 2026 is shaping up as a coordination test.

A clear sign is the Blue Voices Regional Summit 2026, scheduled for 26–28 January 2026, which Zanzibar plans to co-host with partners to strengthen regional action against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing across the South West Indian Ocean. That agenda matters because enforcement failures hit incomes, food security, and marine ecosystems at the same time.

At the grassroots level, the blue economy is not abstract. It is a daily livelihood. Seaweed farming alone employs about 25,000 people in Zanzibar, most of them women, according to Associated Press reporting. Therefore, policy decisions on value addition, safety and market access directly touch household income.

What changed in 2025

The biggest shift in 2025 was momentum toward structured management. Zanzibar already has long-horizon planning tools, including a fisheries master plan (2023–2038) that sets out how the sector should develop sustainably. Meanwhile, partnerships around marine protected areas have expanded. For example, Blue Alliance has described a delegated management agreement linked to North PECCA, framed around conservation and long-term financing.

However, women in seaweed farming still sit low in the value chain. Many earn small monthly income from raw sales, while higher margins sit with traders and processors. Consequently, the real reform question is not only “more production,” but also “who captures value.”

Where the blue economy push heads in 2026

In 2026, the summit diplomacy and the village economy will collide. In other words, stronger enforcement against IUUF must be paired with better local production systems. Otherwise, the benefits leak away.

The Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries has positioned its planning within Zanzibar’s development vision, focusing on economic transformation tied to marine resources. Therefore, policy is now expected to deliver measurable outcomes: stronger surveillance, higher-quality landing sites, safer livelihoods, and more processing.

Seaweed is a strong test case. It has global demand in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Yet, climate change is pushing some farmers into deeper waters, which raises safety risks. As a result, skills, equipment and community protection become part of economic strategy, not charity.

Risks and opportunities

If enforcement strengthens without community benefits, trust will weaken. Moreover, if value addition grows without standards, buyers can reject products.

However, the opportunity is significant. Local processing can multiply incomes, and it can also create new small industries led by women. Therefore, Zanzibar’s blue economy push can become a model: protect the ocean, grow jobs, and keep value on the islands.