By Mary Waoko
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Hassan Ali Joho today hosted the High-Level African Blue Food Leadership Roundtable at Travellers Beach Hotel in Mombasa, held on the sidelines of the 11th Our Ocean Conference.
The high-level forum brought together African ministers, global ocean leaders, and policy experts to strengthen continental coordination on blue foods and accelerate their integration into national development and climate policies.
The roundtable’s primary objective was to harmonize commitments aimed at embedding blue foods—sustainably sourced food from aquatic systems—into African food security, climate resilience, and economic transformation agendas.
Among the distinguished participants were Ghana’s Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Emelia Arthur, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson, Special Advisor to AUDA-NEPAD on Climate Change Keriako Tobiko, and Icelandic ocean governance expert Jon Jonasson, alongside senior policymakers and delegates from across Africa and partner institutions.
Discussions focused on scaling sustainable fisheries, strengthening marine and inland water ecosystems, expanding investment in blue food value chains, and enhancing regional cooperation in ocean governance.
Kenya reaffirmed its leadership role in the blue economy space, noting its position as a continental champion within the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Blue Economy.
The country also pledged to spearhead the African Blue Food Leadership Network, aimed at uniting African states around shared priorities in sustainable aquatic food systems.
The forum underscored the urgency of leveraging Africa’s vast ocean and freshwater resources not only for food security but also for job creation, climate action, and long-term economic resilience.
