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# [MAURITIUS] Blue Economy: The Island Eyes a 20% GDP Contribution as the High Seas Treaty Takes Effect
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/maurice-economie-bleue-lile-vise-une-contribution-de-20-au-pib-le-traite-sur-la-haute-mer-entre-en-vigueur-en/
- Published: 2026-08-02T02:46:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-02T02:46:06.000Z
- Description: Mauritius targets a blue economy contribution of more than 20% of GDP. The High Seas Treaty has been in force since January 2026 and tuna exports represent 14 billion MUR annually.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Maurice, Économie, Investissement, tourisme, Revue matinale, #en

During World Ocean Day celebrations on **8 June 2026**, Mauritius reaffirmed its ambition to make the blue economy a major growth pillar: the stated goal is a **contribution of more than 20% to GDP** in the coming years. An ambitious target for an island whose annual exports of processed tuna already represent close to **14 billion Mauritian rupees**.

## The High Seas Treaty: A New Legal Framework

The entry into force of the High Seas Treaty in **January 2026** — officially the Internationally Binding Instrument on Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction — changes the picture for island states. Mauritius intends to leverage this new legal framework to better protect its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and promote sustainable exploitation of deep-sea resources through innovative fish aggregating device programmes.

## Deep-Sea Fishing and Industrial Investment

The government is banking on the expansion of deep-sea industrial fishing. Dr Arvin Boolell, Minister of Agro-industry and Blue Economy, stresses the need to "strengthen maritime legislation to protect the EEZ" and to "support investment in industrial fishing equipment." The goal: to diversify revenue streams beyond the lagoon — whose fish stocks are depleting — towards the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.

## A France-Mauritius Scientific Partnership

The 8 June event was co-organised by the Mauritius Oceanography Institute and the Institut Français de Maurice in Rose-Hill, illustrating the strategic role of French-Mauritian scientific cooperation in this sector. Oceanographic research, aquaculture and marine resource valorisation are central to the bilateral exchange programme.

## Why It Matters

For Mauritius, the blue economy represents an essential diversification lever to reduce dependence on tourism and financial services. By targeting 20% of GDP, the island positions itself alongside major global maritime economies. The Indian Ocean region holds enormous untapped potential — fisheries, marine biotechnology, offshore renewables — that remains largely underdeveloped. The moment is strategic: legal frameworks are being established, financing is being organised, and the first economies to build coherent strategies will emerge as winners.

*Sources: ION News, Mauritius Oceanography Institute.*