SIDS can strengthen Blue Economies by empowering coastal communities in policy, conservation, and innovation
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This is part of the essay series: Sagarmanthan Edit 2025.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share a unique bond with their ocean territory through their economy, community, and environment. With over 40 percent of the world’s population living within 100 kilometres of the coast, coastal communities are vital hubs for trade and livelihood generation, but often face the brunt of climate change. As many island nations turn towards the Blue Economy (BE) framework to accelerate their national development sustainably, SIDS must ensure their coastal communities are actively and meaningfully involved in decision-making, policy, and stewardship of the very marine resources they depend on.
Community-led conservation efforts can be powerful drivers of both environmental stewardship and socio-economic benefits in SIDS. Local fishers in Barbados contributed to the design of a Maritime Management Area and helped secure the boundaries and management practices of their livelihood zone. Community-based marine conservation in Mauritius led to the protection of 50 hectares of coral reef habitat and 8 hectares of seagrass on the border of a fishing reserve, an initiative that has also attracted more visitors and commerce to the area. Scaling up these initiatives and linking them through regional and global networks can strengthen coastal community resilience.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share a unique bond with their ocean territory through their economy, community, and environment. With over 40 percent of the world’s population living within 100 kilometres of the coast, coastal communities are vital hubs for trade and livelihood generation, but often face the brunt of climate change.
Social enterprises and NGOs are also demonstrating how the responsible use of marine resources and innovative solutions can help to ensure inclusivity within the BE. The coastal community of Wasini Island, for instance, is highly dependent on fishing and tourism for its livelihoods. The Kenyan government, with the support of NGOs such as the African Nature Organisation and Wildlife Conservation Society, worked with the islands’ local community groups to address the continued deterioration of the island’s marine resources. Some of the key outcomes of this collaboration included the development of a marine protected area (MPA), the piloting of the region’s first and only coral transplantation initiative and the model subsequently being successfully replicated in other communities along the Kenyan coast.
For their part, social enterprises can also contribute significantly to the BE by promoting sustainable practices. The Ocean CleanUp developed technologies that rid the ocean of plastic, and estimates being able to remove 90 percent of floating ocean plastic by 2040. The venture has now turned towards intercepting plastic in rivers and has deployed its river cleanup technology in over 9 countries, including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia. Supporting such enterprises through market linkages and capacity building can drive inclusive growth for communities.
Linked to this, a competitive and resilient BE needs highly qualified and skilled professionals. Many emerging innovative blue economy sectors such as ocean renewable energy, blue biotechnology, and algae production are adding new markets and creating jobs, but these sectors struggle to find qualified people, which will hamper their growth. Research shows that talent retention, limited funding for training and time constraints to pursue further education are some of the key barriers to skills development in BE. To that end, specialised BE technical training, apprenticeship programmes, and stronger partnerships between industry, academia, and government will be needed to ensure that people can transition into future-ready roles in BE fields such as marine policy development and regulation, nautical tourism, marine biotechnology and aquaculture engineering.
Coastal communities possess generations of indigenous knowledge about the ocean, from artisanal fishing practices and boatbuilding traditions to celestial navigational skills. This oral knowledge is at risk of being lost forever unless deliberate efforts are made to preserve and integrate it into education and policy.
Finally, coastal communities possess generations of indigenous knowledge about the ocean, from artisanal fishing practices and boatbuilding traditions to celestial navigational skills. This oral knowledge is at risk of being lost forever unless deliberate efforts are made to preserve and integrate it into education and policy. The Betina Museum of Wooden Shipbuilding on Murter Island actively engages the local community with the preservation of their BE heritage. By preserving traditional shipbuilding knowledge and promoting cultural tourism, the eco-museum contributes to the sustainable development and income of the local community. Similarly, the Seychelles Cultural Institute recently announced plans for a Maritime and a Natural History Museum. Such an investment could also help safeguard Seychelles’ cultural heritage while reinforcing community identity and pride.
In conclusion, SIDS are demonstrating the power of coastal communities in levelling up a truly sustainable BE, but much more needs to be done. In valuing communities as co-creators of marine policy, leaders of conservation, and innovators in blue-based ventures, coastal communities are the foundation upon which SIDS can build economic resilience, strengthen environmental stewardship and ultimately secure the well-being of future generations.
Malshini Senaratne is Assistant Head of Department at the University of Seychelles, a Director at Eco-Sol Consulting, and specialises in the Blue Economy.
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Malshini Senaratne is a lecturer at the University of Seychelles and a Director with Eco-Sol Consulting Seychelles. Her research interests include entrepreneurship Blue Economy ecosystem ...
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