The European Union and Germany have officially launched the Sustainable Western Indian Ocean Programme (SWIOP), a €60.5 million initiative to strengthen ocean governance, catalyse sustainable blue economy investment and enhance marine ecosystem resilience in the Western Indian Ocean. The programme was unveiled on 18 June 2026 during the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, by the EU, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and their implementing partners.
SWIOP is the EU's flagship initiative under the Global Gateway strategy for the region. It is funded by the EU (€58 million) and co-funded by BMZ (€2.5 million) and will be implemented over five years across nine countries: Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia and Tanzania. The programme addresses challenges such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which costs the region over €214 million annually, and the lack of access to formal finance for small and medium enterprises in the blue economy.
European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, said: "This programme embodies the spirit of Global Gateway: a partnership of equals that turns common challenges into shared opportunities." Andreas Schaumayer, Head of Department for Food Security and Fisheries at BMZ, highlighted Germany's support for community-led conservation and fisheries governance. Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Ali Joho, welcomed the initiative, stressing that regional cooperation is essential for effective ocean governance.
SWIOP is implemented by the Nairobi Convention, European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Expertise France. The programme aims to unlock the economic potential of a sustainable blue economy for enterprises and communities while safeguarding marine ecosystems for over 60 million people dependent on coastal and marine resources.