Kenya targets 450,000 MT fish output under new blue economy strategy

KENYA – Kenya has officially launched its National Blue Economy Strategy 2025–2030, setting out an ambitious plan to transform oceans, lakes and other aquatic resources into key drivers of economic growth.

The strategy was announced on 26 February by Ali Hassan Joho, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs. It outlines how the government intends to raise the sector’s annual earnings from KES 40 billion (US$311 million) to KES 350 billion (US$2.7 billion) by 2030, while increasing fish production from 163,000 metric tonnes to more than 450,000 metric tonnes over the same period.

According to the ministry, the strategy builds on the momentum created since the 2018 Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi. It aligns the sector with Vision 2030, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, and the State Department’s Strategic Plan. It positions the blue economy and fisheries as core pillars of Kenya’s long-term development framework.

Investment and production targets

Speaking at the launch, Joho said the blue economy has, for years, been treated as peripheral rather than foundational to economic planning. He noted that the new strategy corrects that approach by explicitly recognising fisheries and marine resources as central to growth, job creation and sustainable development, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Principal Secretary Betsy Njagi emphasised the importance of providing a clear national framework that investors and development partners can rely on. She said the strategy is designed to create bankable projects that can quickly scale the sector’s earnings to between KES 80 billion (US$621 million) and KES 100 billion (US$777 million) within the next two years, before reaching the 2030 target of KES 350 billion (US$2.7 billion).

The plan also targets a near tripling of fish production, from the current 163,000 metric tonnes to more than 450,000 metric tonnes by 2030, supported by infrastructure development and technology adoption.

Private sector alignment and sustainability focus

A key pillar of the strategy is deeper private sector participation. Ministry officials said the government has mapped stakeholders across the entire value chain, including banks, insurers, feed producers, processors, and Beach Management Units, to align public investment with commercial opportunities.

The government describes its role as that of an enabler rather than a direct market participant. Officials pointed to existing policy frameworks, regulations, and strategies intended to create a stable and predictable business environment for investors.

Significant public infrastructure investments have already been made to support the sector. These include a mariculture Centre of Excellence valued at KES 1.4 billion (US$10.9 billion), another facility in Kabonyo, Kisumu, worth KES 1.3 billion (US$10.1 million), and fish landing sites designed to strengthen the fisheries value chain. The strategy seeks to leverage such infrastructure to crowd in private capital.

Beyond production targets, the plan also prioritises sustainable resource utilisation. The ministry aims to promote technologies that enable the responsible extraction of aquatic resources, introduce socio-economic safeguards and tap into climate finance through blue carbon pilot projects. It also highlights the need to develop a skilled workforce through partnerships and research funding.

Kenya also reaffirmed its readiness to host the 11th edition of the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa from 16 to 18 June 2026, positioning the country as a regional leader in sustainable ocean governance.

With clear production targets, infrastructure backing, and a strong emphasis on private investment, the strategy signals a shift toward a more structured, commercially oriented blue economy framework over the next five years.

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