Introduction

The Blue Economy (BE) has become a central pillar of Zanzibar’s development strategy, as reflected in the Zanzibar Blue Economy Policy (2022), Zanzibar Development Plan (ZADEP 2021-2026), Vision 2050, and dedicated institutional arrangements including Ministry responsible for blue economy in particular. Globally, the BE is framed as an integrated development paradigm that promotes economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion through the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources (Hafidh et al, 2021). In Zanzibar, BE policy frameworks are strongly aligned with international and regional instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the African Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS 2050), and the Lomé Charter, emphasizing sustainable resource use, maritime security, and ecosystem protection (Hafidh et al, 2021) and SDGs (SDG 14(Life below water and DG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth among many others.

Since assuming office in 2020, the President of Zanzibar has placed the Blue Economy at the center of the islands’ socio-economic transformation agenda. Presidential statements and development priorities have consistently framed the ocean economy as a strategic pathway for employment creation, youth and women’s empowerment, industrialization, and sustainable livelihoods, particularly for coastal communities. This high-level political commitment has reinforced the prominence of the Blue Economy within national planning frameworks and accelerated the creation of institutional structures dedicated to its coordination and implementation (Hafidh et al, 2021; Semboja & Hafidh, 2022).

Despite this strong political and policy commitment, empirical literature reveals that the translation of Blue Economy ambitions into tangible socio-economic outcomes remains limited. Studies focusing on Zanzibar’s core BE sectors—particularly artisanal fisheries and seaweed farming—consistently identify structural constraints, including limited access to capital, weak market systems, low technological adoption, inadequate infrastructure, and vulnerability to climate and non-climate stressors (Makame & Salum, 2021; Muumin et al., 2023; Ali et al., 2023). These constraints have contributed to persistently low productivity and limited livelihood gains among coastal communities, raising concerns about the inclusiveness and effectiveness of BE implementation.

Although BE policy frameworks stress integration and stakeholder participation, evidence shows that the involvement of artisanal fishers, seaweed farmers, and women remains largely consultative rather than decision-making (Mwanyoka et al., 2025). Salum (2023) further argues that Zanzibar’s BE functions as a development agenda, environmental governance tool, and political discourse, where policy narratives often mask power relations and implementation challenges. By contrast, earlier policy-focused studies assume that political will and institutional coherence automatically ensure implementation, overlooking governance practices and political economy dynamics (Hafidh et al, 2021; Semboja & Hafidh, 2022)

Within this governance and political context, digitalization is increasingly recognized as a potential enabler of Blue Economy transformation. Globally, digital technologies—including ICT platforms, mobile applications, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain—have been shown to enhance fisheries monitoring, marine spatial planning, transparency, traceability, and market access (Catedrilla et al., 2024; Chandravanshi, 2025). In fisheries and aquaculture, blockchain-based systems are particularly noted for their role in addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and improving supply-chain governance (Chandravanshi, 2025).

However, Zanzibar-specific evidence on the practical adoption and governance of digital technologies remains limited and fragmented. Studies suggest that digital uptake in Blue Economy sectors is constrained by digital divides, low digital literacy, limited infrastructure, weak financial systems, and inadequate institutional capacity (Nassir et al., 2023; Jape, 2024). Research on education and human capital further reveals low public awareness of the BE concept and insufficient integration of ICT- and BE-related competencies within higher learning institutions, limiting innovation and adaptive capacity (Mitula, 2023; Abdalla et al., 2023). Consequently, the strong political promise of the Blue Economy, including presidential commitments since 2020, has yet to be matched by inclusive, evidence-driven, and digitally enabled implementation on the ground. The paper is underpinned by Socio-Technical Systems Theory to address digital dimension of blue economy to make the sector fruitful to incumbent communities and national at large.

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