By decree issued on 30 November 2022, the Office of the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia formally re-designated the former Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources as the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy. The change was made following a proposal submitted by the Minister concerned. In that sense, the document establishes the change as a matter of governmental re-designation, but it does not set out in express terms any detailed policy justification, institutional rationale, or explanatory memorandum as to why the former title was replaced.
Nevertheless, the change in nomenclature from Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy is capable of broader administrative significance. The expression marine resources ordinarily conveys a narrower emphasis on fisheries and the exploitation or management of sea-based resources.
By contrast, the term blue economy is generally understood as encompassing a wider policy domain, extending beyond fisheries to include the broader economic, regulatory, and developmental uses of the marine and coastal environment. In institutional terms, such a change in designation may therefore be read as reflecting an intention to situate the Ministry within a more expansive framework of ocean governance, including not only fisheries administration, but also matters such as maritime trade, coastal development, marine conservation, and other forms of sea-based economic planning.
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