Zanzibar plans to develop its blue economy by investing more in the fishing industry by upgrading and supporting investors offering tourism services.

Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein said focus will be on strengthening the fishing industry after years of stagnation despite the archipelago’s marine biodiversity. He said this while launching a $11.6 million-worth landing site and fish market project in Malindi, Zanzibar.

“It is unacceptable that Zanzibar, in the Indian Ocean, does not benefit from fishing. We don’t even have a single fish processing plant,” President Shein said.

The Malindi landing site and fish market, set for completion in October this year, is expected to accommodate at least two dozen small fishing vessels and up to 6,500 fish traders.

Lack of modern fishing equipment has been cited as a factor in the poor performance of the archipelago’s fishing industry.

Tourism has been the mainstay of Zanzibar’s economy following the collapse of the cloves export trade over the past two decades, occasioned by declining world clove prices.