The blue economy – or ocean economy – is increasingly recognised as a vital driver of sustainable development, particularly in coastal nations, as it offers opportunities for economic growth and job creation.

However, balancing these opportunities with the need to protect and sustainably manage marine resources remains a major challenge for many countries.

To address this, WWF South Africa and a South African consulting firm, Fisheries and Mariculture Support Services, have developed an easy-to-use benchmarking tool to evaluate national blue economy plans against sustainable blue economy (SBE) principles.

SBE principles emphasise inclusivity, transparency, compliance and cooperation, while being systemic, impactful, diversified, science-led and solutions-driven. The aim is to drive future development towards an economy that keeps us in a safe and just space, entirely within ecosystem limits, producing benefits that meet the needs of all humans now and into the future.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) granted WWF South Africa permission to use the draft Oceans Economy Master Plan for the purposes of developing the tool. Piloted in 2025, the new tool promotes international best practice  in developing national sustainable blue economy plans that enable  responsible use of ocean resources for present and future generations.

Cape Town workshop

The new SBE benchmarking tool was the subject of a recent multi-country, blue economy workshop attended by representatives from Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania, including government officials, civil society, finance and technical experts.

Workshop participants agreed on the need for a shared regional commitment to building a blue economy that balances economic growth with environmental sustainability and community well-being.

Speaker Louise Heaps, WWF Sustainable Blue Economy Global Lead, said governments urgently needed to adopt SBE principles to build a supportive enabling environment to attract private sector finance. The SBE benchmarking tool could help countries to identify gaps and areas where financial engagement was most needed.

“This innovative tool provides a structured and transparent framework for assessing how national blue economy strategies align with sustainable practices, focusing on critical elements such as ecosystem integrity, social inclusivity and long-term resilience,” she said.

WWF South Africa’s role was both visionary and practical in developing the tool, benefiting not only South Africa but also the wider South West Indian Ocean (SWIO) region.

Craig Smith, a marine technical specialist in WWF’s Systems Change Unit, commented: “The tool is not intended to compare one country against another, but to support internal assessment, establish baselines and using the scoring system to identify priority actions and to track progress.

“The piloting of the benchmarking tool in the SWIO region was useful to ensure the tool was robust to cover diverse country plans. A few final revisions will be made before the tool can be published for global use.”

Sam Petersen, WWF project lead for the SWIO region, said in her closing remarks: “This tool helps us see gaps, find opportunities and focus our actions where they matter most, and with small improvements, it can become even stronger. More than anything, this process reminds us that building a sustainable blue economy is about working together, caring for our oceans, and shaping a future we can all be proud of.”