Blue Economy Implementation and Marine Resource Governance in Zanzibar: Institutional Dynamics and Conservation Outcomes

Blue Economy (BE) has gained prominence globally as a framework for advancing marine sustainability, economic growth, and community welfare. Zanzibar formally adopted BE in 2020, yet empirical evidence on how its implementation is influencing marine conservation and governance remains limited. This study examines institutional and legislative reforms, the performance of Marine Conservation Areas (MCAs) in revenue generation, and emerging challenges affecting conservation outcomes. Drawing on 33 key-informant interviews, seven focus group discussions, and document analysis, the findings reveal that BE implementation has catalysed major institutional restructuring, including the establishment of the Department of Marine Conservation, expansion of “No-Take Zones,” strengthened monitoring, and substantial growth in MCA-based revenue collection from TZS 500 million ($193,773) in 2021 to over TZS 3 billion ($1,214,949) in 2024. However, challenges persist, including overlapping institutional mandates, weak coordination, limited community participation, unregulated tourism, inequitable revenue distribution, and continuing illegal fishing. In Pemba, in particular, communities report exclusion from revenue benefits, raising concerns of fairness and social legitimacy. These findings suggest that sustained conservation gains require comprehensive legislative reform, inclusive governance mechanisms, equitable benefit-sharing, and innovative blue financing instruments such as carbon and biodiversity credits. The study contributes to Blue Economy scholarship in small island states by demonstrating that BE’s success depends not only on conservation financing and institutional expansion, but on governance coherence, enforcement capacity, and meaningful community engagement.