By Kennedy Musyoka and Kevin Koech
Introduction
Blue economy refers to the initiatives directed towards harnessing the untapped potential of seas, coasts and oceans for job creation and economic growth while maintaining sustainability of oceans ecosystems to support these activities. It plays a pivotal role in economic growth, contributing 2.5% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Kenya. The coastal and marine value chain provides employment to approximately two million people, in the form of as fishers, tour guides, traders, and hospitality staff. The annual economic value of goods and services in the marine and coastal value chain is estimated to be slightly over US$4.4 billion (20%) with the tourism sector taking the greatest share of over US$ 4.1 billion. The sector also generates unquantified benefits like carbon sequestration, shoreline protection, and waste recycling. However, growth in the value chain is constrained by challenges such as uncoordinated sectoral policies, increasing population, limited understanding of coastal and marine resources, inadequate legislation and enforcement, inadequate trained personnels, and use of inappropriate technologies. This blog explores possible approaches for harnessing the existing potential in blue economy by strengthening the coastal and marine value chain for job creation in Kenya.
Status of Coastal and Marine Value chain in Kenya Progress in the coastal and marine value chain Jobs creation in the coastal and marine value chain
The Kenyan coastal and marine value chain has directly contributed to job creation in the blue economy. The main sectors contributing to job creation in this value chain include fisheries, tourism and recreation, transport and trade, and energy and minerals. The World bank report of 2022 shows that 70.12% of the people employed in the value chain work in tourism and recreation sector in hotels, resorts and recreational activities. In addition, 16.90% are employed in fisheries industry working as artisanal fishers, small- scale aquaculture workers and industrial fishers. Furthermore,11.27% of the jobs are created in the transport and trade sector where people work in maritime transport and ports operation along the coastal areas. The recently emerging jobs are in the energy and mineral sector contributing to 1.4% of the people working in offshore oil and gas exploration and maritime renewal energy.
Figure1: Number of people employed in coastal and marine value chain
Source of Data: World Bank Report (2022) Challenges in Coastal and Marine Value Chain
The coastal and marine value chain faces challenges which limits its potential to fully contribute to economic growth and sustainable environmental conservation. These challenges include:
Uncoordinated sectorial policies
Uncoordinated goals and policies among sectors in the coastal and marine value chain cause conflicts, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities, hindering integrated decision- making and synergies like sustainable tourism with marine conservation, which weakens ecosystem resilience.
Inadequate legislation and enforcement
Limited institutional capacity and outdated policies weaken enforcement in the coastal and marine value chain. This results to illegal activities like habitat encroachment and unregulated fishing, ecosystem destruction, reduced government revenue, resource depletion, eroded public trust, and diminished private investment.
Limited trained personnels
Shortage of skilled personnel due to limited investment in specialized training and education, hinders strategy development, operational efficiency, and innovation in marine value chain. This gap reduces the sector’s capacity to address emerging challenges like climate change, ultimately limiting sustainable growth and value chain advancement.
Inappropriate equipment and technology
Inadequate funding, limited access to modern innovations, and lack of targeted policies to promote technological advancement has led to the use of outdated equipment and technology in the marine value chain. The use of outdated equipment and technologies in this value chain lowers productivity, causes inefficiencies, and limits job creation, while outdated post-harvest handling in fisheries leads to resource wastage.
Opportunities in Coastal and Marine Value Chain
The coastal and marine value chain presents immense opportunities to boost job creation and support the growth of economy. These opportunities include:
Growth of coastal and marine tourism
Leveraging the existing opportunities in the coastal beaches, marine parks, and cultural heritages could create jobs in the transport, hospitality and recreational services. In addition, diversifying tourism activities such ecotourism and marine sports will strengthen the value chain for job creation.
Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
Creating sustainable fisheries and aquaculture will enhance job opportunities for fishers, fish farmers, value adders working in processing plants and other ancillary activities along the value chain.
Expansion of maritime transport and trade
The transport and trade sector in the coastal and marine value chain can enhance job creation through port operations in Mombasa and Lamu. These ports play key roles in logistics and cargo handling, thus enhancing trade. In addition, the small-scale trade along the coastal region can empower local communities, fostering entrepreneurship and expanding employment opportunities within the blue economy.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Unlocking Kenya’s blue economy requires addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities in tourism, fisheries, and maritime trade. Enhancing sectoral coordination, skills development, and sustainable technologies can drive job creation, economic growth, and ecosystem preservation, ensuring long-term benefits for coastal communities.
To realize the full benefits of blue economy and strengthen the coastal and marine value chain in Kenya for job creation, this blog recommends the following :
- The government may consider developing a multi-sectoral coordination framework that aligns with goals and policies among the sectors in the marine value chain to reduce conflicts and duplication of efforts among actors.
- The Ministry of Energy, Blue Economy and Maritime may consider updating and harmonizing the existing legal frameworks that which govern the marine value chain sectors. This will help to minimize illegal activities like habitat encroachment and unregulated fishing.
- The government may consider enhancing training on coastal and marine management to equip workers along the value chain with skills on tourism management, marine conservation and sustainable fishing.
There is need for the government to promote use of efficient and eco-friendly fishing gear, maritime infrastructure, and post-harvest technologies for job creation and enhanced sustainability among the sectors in marine value chain
