EU and Germany Launch €16.5m StawiBluu Initiative to Boost Tanzania's Blue Economy
The European Union and Germany launched the StawiBluu project in Dar es Salaam on 8 October 2026, committing €16.5 million to unlock sustainable blue economy opportunities in Tanzania. Co-financed by the EU (€15 million) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (€1.5 million), and implemented by GIZ across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, the initiative focuses on two key sectors - tourism and aquaculture/mariculture - across destinations including Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo, Unguja, Pemba, and Mafia. The project launch coincided with the 12th Conference of Parties of the Nairobi Convention (COP12) at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre.
StawiBluu aims to strengthen local value chains and connect entrepreneurs - particularly women and young people - to finance, markets, skills, and new business opportunities, while promoting more sustainable and diversified coastal tourism products and services. The initiative forms part of the broader Team Europe Initiative on Blue Economy for Jobs and Climate Action in Tanzania, a €110 million EU-led programme under the Global Gateway framework, targeting sustainable investment, climate resilience, and inclusive economic growth along Tanzania's coastline.
Source: EEAS
