The Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, marked an important moment for coastal communities, marine protection and the future of ocean governance, with two African nations making ambitious commitments to strengthen protections for their coastal waters.
The Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition attended the conference alongside nine coalition members and partners to amplify the voices of small-scale fishing communities and advocate for a fairer approach to managing the ocean. Throughout the week, the Coalition highlighted the importance of recognising small-scale fishers as custodians of the sea and as essential partners in protecting marine ecosystems.
The commitments announced by Senegal and the Union of Comoros represent significant progress towards this vision, demonstrating how stronger protections for coastal waters can support both biodiversity and the communities that depend on healthy oceans.
Senegal expands protections from industrial fishing
One of the most significant announcements came from Senegal, which pledged to extend its Inshore Exclusion Zone from 6 to 12 nautical miles.
This commitment will protect the entirety of Senegal’s territorial sea from industrial fishing, creating greater space for small-scale fisheries and helping to safeguard important coastal ecosystems. Senegal’s fishing sector supports more than 600,000 people, making the protection and sustainable management of coastal waters vital for livelihoods, food security and local economies.
Speaking at the event “Artisanal Stewardship of the Seas”, co-hosted by TBT members Blue Ventures, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Ocean Initiative and Ghana’s Ministry of Fisheries, Senegal’s Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy also committed to strengthening community co-management of the exclusion zone.
This recognition of local fishing communities as partners in ocean governance represents an important step towards more inclusive and effective fisheries management.
Comoros recognises community stewardship across its waters
The Union of Comoros also made a landmark commitment at the conference, announcing plans to establish Artisanal Stewardship Areas across all Comorian territorial waters.
These areas will provide legal recognition for community-managed fishing spaces, strengthening the role of local communities in protecting marine resources and managing fisheries sustainably.
The commitment reflects a growing understanding that communities who rely on the ocean every day are often best placed to help protect it. By recognising artisanal stewardship, Comoros is taking an important step towards ensuring that ocean governance is built around local knowledge, participation and long-term sustainability.
A turning point for small-scale fishers and ocean governance
These announcements build on wider progress already taking place across the region, including Ghana’s new Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, and reflect years of advocacy from small-scale fishing communities, civil society organisations and partners across the Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition; specifically CaFGOAG in Ghana.
For too long, decisions about ocean management have often been shaped without the meaningful participation of the communities most affected. The commitments made in Mombasa demonstrate a growing shift towards policies that recognise the rights, knowledge and leadership of small-scale fishers.
Protecting coastal waters from destructive fishing practices, including bottom trawling, is not only about conservation — it is also about supporting sustainable livelihoods, strengthening food security and addressing long-standing inequalities in ocean governance.
From commitments to action
The announcements made at the Our Ocean Conference are an important milestone, but the next phase will be turning these commitments into lasting change.
Effective implementation will require continued collaboration between governments, fishing communities and civil society partners to ensure that new protections are delivered in practice and that communities remain central to decision-making.
The Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition will continue working with partners across Africa and beyond to support this progress, champion small-scale fishers’ voices and advocate for an ocean future where marine ecosystems and coastal communities can thrive together.
