Using the Blue Economy Paradigm Shift to Strengthen Ocean Governance in the Indian Ocean Region

Unlike the ocean economy, the blue economy places emphasis on sustainability within the context of the limits to growth. The oceans are considered the 'new frontier’ when it comes to exploitation during the epoch of the Anthropocene, and as humans increasingly turn their attention to marine oil and gas exploration, the mining of ocean minerals, intensive fishing and marine trade and tourism, there is an increasing risk of ecosystem degradation, pollution, acidification and the warming of the oceans. This is a particular challenge in the Indian Ocean region as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) bear the brunt of global warming and climate change. In order to address and mitigate the negative consequences of the ocean economy, the blue economy has emerged as an alternative paradigm that emphasises sustainable growth. The 21 Member States of the Indian Ocean Rim Association have adopted the blue economy as a cross cutting priority issue that should inform all policies related to the governance of the oceans, in line with UNCLOS and SDG #14. This paper explores the ways in which the countries of the Indian Ocean region have turned to sustainability in an attempt to address the negative effects caused by the over-reliance and over-exploitation of ocean resources. Future generations are dependent on the decisions we make now.