Making the Blue Economy Work for Communities
We focus on coastal villages along the Indian Ocean and fishing communities around Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika, whose daily survival depends on healthy aquatic systems. Our work turns water resources into lasting community wealth without exhausting the natural systems that produce that wealth.
The Challenge and Our Purpose
Tanzania’s lakes, rivers, and marine waters feed millions and support the livelihoods of more than four million people who fish, process, trade, and depend on aquatic resources.
Yet overfishing, destructive gear, mangrove loss, pollution, and climate pressures are reducing catches, eroding shorelines, and deepening poverty in the very communities that rely on these waters most. Blue Economy Organisation exists to reverse that trajectory through practical action with the people who know the water best.
Three Clear Programmes
These programmes operate together because income without management, rules without alternatives, and restoration without local ownership rarely last.
Sustainable Livelihoods
Expands income options for fishing households so families can meet their needs without over-exploiting stocks.
FishForward
Strengthens co-management systems so local rules are set, respected, and enforced.
Ecosystem Recovery
Restores mangroves, seagrass, and nearshore habitats that serve as fish nurseries and natural protection against erosion and storms.
Working with Communities and Institutions
We work directly with Beach Management Units, village governments, district councils, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, the National Environment Management Council, and the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute. Every intervention is designed with the communities who will live with the results.
Measuring Our Impact
We measure progress in household income and food security, the strength of local management institutions, and the recovery of critical habitats.
The Need is Urgent, The Opportunity is Real
Tanzania has the legal frameworks, the community institutions, and the natural wealth to build a blue economy that serves people and nature together. What has been missing is consistent, grounded support that links livelihoods, governance, and ecosystem health at the places where decisions are made every day—grassroot level.
We Invite You to Stand With Us
Blue Economy Organisation is registered in mainland Tanzania and accountable to the communities we serve, our partners, and those who support the work. We invite you to stand with individuals who are already acting.
Our Partners
