New Africa French (French) and African Business (English) recently spoke with WOC CEO Paul Holthus about the opportunities of developing Africa’s Blue Economy.
“Speaking at the forum, World Ocean Council president and chief executive Paul Holthus summed up the challenge facing Africa: ‘You need a stable operating environment based on security, the rule of law and a set of policies that are in place and enforced as a fundamental framework. There’s clearly some significant challenges with regard to illegal and unregulated fisheries, piracy in relation to shipping, and oil and gas issues. Tapping these problems is really at the front end of having that stable environment, and solving them in themselves creates opportunities.'”
“‘Because things are offshore and out of sight, out of reach of direct government intervention, there’s potentially more opportunity for activities that are outside the norms or illegal. On the other hand there is less opportunity for potentially corrupt practices in the sense of engagement by government officials because they’re not physically there [at sea].”
“Island countries like Mauritius, Seychelles, Cape Verde have really already been engaged in the importance of the ocean economy, and with the movement towards the blue economy at the same time as the Sustainable Development Goals, it’s really coming together for those island countries and those that have a greater historical interaction with the sea. Major fishing countries have really been out in front with this and that is helping to drive continental and regional efforts to get countries engaged in this – there’s some great best practices, terms of finance and investment and enabling policy conditions that are emerging from this.”
“L’économie bleue, un nouveau filon” – New Africa French (Pages 56-58)
https://issuu.com/icpubs/docs/naf59_relay
“Africa’s Economy – An Overlooked Opportunity” – African Business (Pages 10-19) https://issuu.com/icpubs/docs/ab00718_with_supp