Learning! Adventure! Sharing! Collaboration towards Fisheries Management - Kenyan and Comorian fisheries communities unite in the Indian ocean, thanks to the generous support of Blue Ventures!
In May 2024 a team from Lamu embarked on a mission with Blue Ventures to rebuild coastal fisheries communities. LaMCoT was represented by Teresa Jahangir, our Program Manager, along with three dedicated community stakeholders; Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed aka Babuu, a deep sea fisher from Shella, Salim Mzamil Mohamed a reef fisher from Kipungani BMU and Amina Athman Sheile, a boat owner and a former mama kaanga from Amu.
Our host, Dahari Organisation, based in Anjouan, welcomed us with honor and enthusiasm, setting the stage for a memorable learning adventure. The goal was to reciprocate the exchange visit Comorian fishers had in Kenya in 2023, continuing the conversation and knowledge sharing into 2024. We explored the integral roles of women in the fisheries value chain, gathered best practices in fishery management; including no-take zones, octopus closures, and smoking octopus for value addition. We sought adaptable practices for our local context!
Comoros, with her beautiful blue waters of the Indian Ocean, offers rocky shores where reefs provide shelters for octopus. These shelters have been secured into octopus closures through Dahari's marine program initiative. In the southern part of Anjouan, men’s fisher associations have protected their heritage, with skipjack tuna caught near the Vassy shores and spillover around no-take zones with fish aggregating devices.
One of the most profound lessons we learned was the importance of community-driven conservation efforts. Working alongside the dedicated team at Dahari, we witnessed firsthand the power of collaboration in protecting marine resources impacted with a series of training to associations on governance, literacy, data collection and monitoring.
The main highlights included the establishing of no-take zones and using fish aggregating devices (FADs). We were particularly inspired by the integral role women play in fisheries management, from conducting patrols to leading community outreach initiatives. With the Mwiri the Kenya team went on an adventure in fishing out octopus from their hideouts! It was fulfilling!
Kenyan delegates were impressed by how much had been achieved as a result of the previous exchange visit. As Moya Mayor of the Comorian commune remarked, "Before, it was not easy to collect data for fisheries management as we never saw that as a practice from our ancestors. But after the learning exchange visit to Kenya, data collection and feedback have become key tools in decision-making for managing both our resources and our income." Witnessing the resilience and dedication of Comorian fishers reaffirmed our commitment to supporting grassroots conservation efforts worldwide.
Reflecting on our journey, we are filled with gratitude for the opportunity to learn, grow, and collaborate with the incredible community from COMRED, Blue Ventures, Dahari, we are more determined than ever to continue our mission of safeguarding our oceans for future generations. Together, we can make a difference! one wave at a time!
Written by Teresa Jahangir, LaMCoT
Photos by Teresa & Blue Ventures
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