Western Indian Ocean, which is also referred to as the “Blue Economy,” is being severely undermined by maritime threats that are costing the region a staggering $1.14 billion annually, a report released by the United Nations Economic Commission (ECA) on Tuesday revealed.
Jointly launched by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in Mauritius, the report entitled “Rocking the Boat: The Socio-Economic Impact of Maritime Threats in the Western Indian Ocean (2025)”, said the figure is equivalent to 5.7 percent of the region’s gross marine product.
The report said the region is indispensable: its total ocean asset base is conservatively valued at $333.8 billion, and its ocean-based industries generate at least $20 billion in annual output.
It said the ocean supports millions of lives—fisheries alone employ nearly 4 million Eastern Africans, and it serves as an essential artery for an estimated 90 percent of African international trade.
Noting that persistent threats are draining the region’s potential beyond the headline loss of $1.14 billion, the report highlighted that even after the decline in piracy in the WIO from its 2010–2012 peaks, precautionary costs and insurance premiums remain stubbornly high, with $164 million spent annually on counter-piracy measures alone.
“Security enables development, and development sustains security. The Western Indian Ocean is a strategic lifeline… The cost of inaction exceeds the cost of prevention. The conclusion is clear: the costs of inaction exceed the costs of smart, sustained investment in maritime security,” Emelang Leteane, Head of the Cluster on Sub regional Initiatives in the UNECA Subregional Office for Eastern Africa, was quoted saying.
Echoing this concern, Edgard Razafindravahy, Secretary-General of the IOC, stressed that while regional arrangements like the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre and the Regional Coordination Operations Centre have delivered real gains, they lack stability.
“To protect livelihoods, economies, and marine ecosystems, these capabilities should be integrated into national and regional budgets, data gaps should be closed, and cooperation should deepen,” said Razafindravahy. “The region’s security and its blue prosperity rise and fall together.”
The report suggested that maritime security must be fully integrated into all Blue Economy planning, treating challenges like IUU fishing, trafficking, and labor exploitation as interconnected systemic issues.
MG/as/APA