Tanzania is reviewing laws governing its blue economy in a move aimed at removing investment barriers and unlocking a sector that could become an increasingly important engine of growth, employment and regional trade.

The Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs said the review was necessary to ensure that laws governing marine and other aquatic resources keep pace with investment opportunities while protecting the country’s natural wealth.

Neema Mwanga, Director of the Natural Wealth and Resources Oversight Unit at the ministry, said the government was examining regulations that could be discouraging investment in the blue economy.

She was speaking on Monday at the Fifth International Blue Economy Conference at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam.

“The ministry’s participation is aimed at ensuring that legal and regulatory issues affecting the blue economy are effectively addressed,” Ms Mwanga said.

The review comes as the economic significance of Tanzania’s oceans, lakes, rivers and other aquatic resources becomes clearer.

A 2024 study using the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit estimated that Tanzania’s major blue economy industries generated $7.2 billion in gross value added in 2020, equivalent to about 11.1 per cent of mainland Tanzania’s GDP, while employing more than two million people.

The country has about 1,424 kilometres of coastline, a territorial sea covering approximately 64,000 square kilometres and an Exclusive Economic Zone of about 223,000 square kilometres. Its fisheries sector directly employs about 200,000 people and supports the livelihoods of another four million.

The government believes clearer laws could help convert this resource base into greater private investment in fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, maritime transport, logistics, marine technology and value addition.

Principal State Attorney Richard Jacopiyo said the legislative review was being undertaken in line with Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050, to ensure that laws support current economic priorities.

“A strong legal framework is necessary to balance investment attraction with protection of national interests,” he said.

The reforms have implications beyond Tanzania because Dar es Salaam is a major gateway for several land-linked economies in East and Central Africa.

The Port of Dar es Salaam serves Malawi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, linking these countries to international markets through maritime, road and rail networks.

Consequently, improvements in Tanzania’s maritime regulatory environment could reduce delays, encourage investment in logistics infrastructure and strengthen regional supply chains.

This is particularly important as the East African Community develops its Blue Economy Strategy and Action Plan for 2025–2034, which seeks to promote aquatic resources as a source of jobs, food security, value addition and regional integration.

Senior State Attorney Daniel Mbaki said the government was also strengthening alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms to ensure disputes between investors and service providers do not disrupt projects.

The reforms therefore represent more than a domestic investment initiative. For Tanzania and its neighbours, predictable blue-economy laws could help attract capital into ports, shipping, fisheries and marine tourism while improving the efficiency of trade corridors serving the wider region.