Why African states are pushing to unlock blue economy

A fisherman casts his net into the ocean in the Indian Ocean on the Kenyan coast. [File, Standard]

African maritime states are yet to unlock the potential in the blue economy despite embarking on the journey for economic transformation through the sector 13 years ago.

While the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) was formed in 2012 with an ambitious mandate, its slow progress is attributable to various systemic challenges, and the blue economy remains vulnerable to exploitation.