From Policy Ambition to Practice: Implementation Challenges of Zanzibar’s Blue Economy Policy and the Sustainability of Artisanal Fisheries

Abstract

This study critically examines the implementation of Zanzibar’s Blue Economy Policy (BEP) and its implications for the sustainability of artisanal fisheries, a sector central to livelihoods, food security, and coastal development in Small Island Developing States. Guided by a synthesis approach to public policy implementation, the study adopts a mixed-methods design combining household surveys (n = 122), key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations across four coastal Shehia in the Urban West Region of Unguja. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in SPSS, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings reveal strong policy commitment by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar towards sustainable marine resource use and livelihood enhancement. However, significant implementation gaps persist, undermining the sustainability of artisanal fisheries. Key challenges include limited access to deep-sea fishing (reported by 91.8% of respondents), inadequate capital and financial support, insufficient modern fishing technologies, weak institutional training frameworks, poor fisheries infrastructure, and constrained export capacity. These challenges highlight a disconnect between policy aspirations and on-the-ground realities, reflecting broader governance and capacity constraints typical of blue economy transitions in developing coastal contexts. The study argues that without addressing these structural and institutional bottlenecks, the Blue Economy Policy risks reinforcing existing vulnerabilities rather than delivering inclusive and sustainable outcomes. It recommends strengthening policy coordination, expanding financial and technological support for artisanal fishers, enhancing capacity-building programmes, and fostering multi-actor partnerships to translate blue economy ambitions into tangible sustainability gains. The findings contribute to emerging debates on blue economy governance by offering empirically grounded insights into policy implementation challenges in island and coastal economies of the Global South.