AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT LEADERS ENDORSE OCEAN GOVERNANCE STRATEGY IN BOOST FOR BLUE ECONOMY

Draft text calls for the creation of four trans-boundary marine conservation corridors, stretching from the Canary Current along the West African seaboard to the Agulhas Bank in the south, to facilitate shared scientific research, harmonised regulations and coordinated responses to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

A draft text on the African Union’s (AU) Ocean Governance Strategy and its accompanying implementation plan has been formally adopted by the 20th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), signalling a major step forward in the continent’s bid to harness its maritime resources for sustainable, homegrown development.

The strategy, which has been under development for the past two years, provides a comprehensive framework for the management of Africa’s vast coastlines and exclusive economic zones. It establishes clear objectives for environmental protection, equitable resource allocation, capacity building and regional cooperation, and sets out pragmatic steps that member states can take to balance economic growth with ecological preservation.

Among the document’s most significant innovations is its emphasis on marine fisheries as a crucial, yet historically under-examined, sector for climate change adaptation. Fisheries account for livelihoods for millions of coastal Africans, and the strategy identifies targeted measures, such as enhanced monitoring of fish stocks, community-led aquaculture projects, and the rehabilitation of mangrove ecosystems, to bolster resilience against warming seas, ocean acidification and increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

Implementation of the strategy will roll out in three distinct phases over the next decade. The first phase, scheduled to begin early next year, will focus on capacity building and institutional strengthening, including the establishment of national ocean governance councils in each member state. Phase Two will target the operationalisation of joint monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, while Phase Three aims to integrate maritime green financing instruments, such as blue bonds and carbon credits tied to mangrove restoration, into national budgets.

Regional collaboration is a cornerstone of the plan. The draft text calls for the creation of four trans-boundary marine conservation corridors, stretching from the Canary Current along the West African seaboard to the Agulhas Bank in the south, to facilitate shared scientific research, harmonised regulations and coordinated responses to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Although the strategy stops short of legally binding enforcement measures, it is backed by a commitment from AU member states to review progress every two years and to submit voluntary national reports on implementation milestones. Observers say this adaptive approach may prove more effective than rigid mandates, allowing for adjustments as new scientific data and financial opportunities emerge.

With Africa’s maritime economy projected to double in value by 2030, the adoption of the AU Ocean Governance Strategy at AMCEN represents a timely blueprint for steering that growth in a sustainable direction, and for placing African nations firmly in charge of their oceanic destiny.