Photo taken on Feb. 14, 2012, shows the beautiful scenery of Island Vicente of the Republic of Cape Verde. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan)
LOME, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chair of the African Union Commission said "blue economy" could be Africa's future source of fortune and jobs, despite a lack of benefits reaped so far from the ocean.
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said this in her statement to the executive council of the extraordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union on maritime security, safety and development here in Lome.
"Not more than 1 percent of seafarers and just 1.8 percent of ships globally are African owned, whereas over 90 percent of Africa's imports and exports are conducted by sea," she said.
The AU Commission Chairperson went on to say that "the consequence of this is that although exports and imports are processed through our oceans, seas and waterways, we are not receiving the requisite benefits, including the jobs".
For Africa, the economic value of the blue economy is estimated at over 1 trillion U.S. dollars with hundreds of thousands of job opportunities for young Africans.
Dlamini Zuma recalled that 2050 Africa Maritime strategy has been developed to foster increased wealth creation from the oceans and seas of the continent.
This will be achieved by developing the blue economy in a secure and environmentally sustainable manner, she said.
THREATS
Meanwhile, Chairman of the AU Executive Council Moussa Faki Mahamat said the African maritime space faced menaces including piracy, gun violence, weapons and drug trafficking as well as illegal fishing and pollution.
"It is a cause of great concern that besides increasing insecurity on the mainland as a result of armed conflict, terrorism, climate change and so on, another danger takes off at a wide scale in the maritime zone", he said.
"In the face of the multiplicity and the complexity of all menaces to the maritime zone, Africa must consider global and collective solution", Mahamat said.
He underscored that the contemplated solution is included in the draft of the Lome Charte that is expected to be adopted on October 15.
