The rich but delicate ecosystems that surround Africa's coasts have helped sustain human populations since the dawn of our species. Yet few would deny that the artisanal economic activities around Africa's waters have been a low priority for almost all governments since independence. Small-scale fishing communities, which are difficult to tax, have long complained of neglect.
There are some signs, however, that the tide is beginning to turn. Internationally, the need to protect the oceans and make sustainable use of their resources has risen up the agenda.
And African policymakers have begun to pay attention to the concept of the "blue economy".
