Southeast Asia’s plans to grow its blue economy – especially its fisheries sector – will not be hindered by tensions in the South China Sea, according to a senior Asean official, despite warnings from observers that ongoing maritime disputes with China could threaten the region’s economic and environmental progress.
Satvinder Singh, deputy secretary general of the Asean Economic Community, said disputes involving claimant states such as the Philippines and Vietnam would not hamper the bloc’s efforts to grow the industry as part of a broader push to become the world’s fourth-largest economy before 2045.
“Fisheries are one of the key sectors in the blue economy for the region,” Singh said at a Friday media briefing on the Asean Community Vision 2045 and the bloc’s coming economic strategic plan. “Those specific incidents that happen in the South China Sea are not going to stop the industry from progressing.”
The blue economy – which encompasses maritime industries such as fisheries, tourism, offshore energy and marine transport – is a key component of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ push for sustainable development. According to Singh, it sits alongside other major regional initiatives, including the Asean Strategy for Carbon Neutrality and frameworks focused on circular economies, agriculture, energy and transport.
Singh confirmed that the implementation plan for the Asean Blue Economy Framework, adopted in 2023, would be completed this year. The framework outlines regional cooperation on a sector projected by the United Nations Development Programme to generate US$3 trillion in economic value and 43 million jobs by the end of the decade.
