Africa: The Unsung Heroes of Ocean Conservation Are Demanding to Be Heard

Mombasa, Kenya — On a lawn overlooking the Indian Ocean, a group of women leaders from coastal Kenya sat together for a special conversation to share stories from their communities, discuss the challenges they face, and explore locally led solutions for protecting marine ecosystems while strengthening livelihoods.

The discussion, titled "Women's Voices Are Key to the Future of Kenya's Ocean," featured three women whose work in fisheries, conservation and community leadership spans the coast: Raabia Hawa, founder and director of the Ulinzi Africa Foundation; Amina Komora, a fisher from the Sanye community in Lamu County; and Zulfa Hassan, the mangrove restoration leader from Pate Island. Hassan is also known as "Mama Mikoko" (Mother Mangrove in Swahili).

The moderator of the session was Dr Christina Chemtai Hicks, a professor at Lancaster University, a Pew Marine Fellow, and an Oceana board member. Hicks's research focuses on fisheries governance and conservation, food justice and nutrition, and who benefits from and pays for ocean exploitation. Kate Walsh, acclaimed actress, ocean advocate and Oceana ambassador, joined the special conversation. Walsh is using her massive platform to force global policymakers to look beyond clinical data and confront the human toll of marine degradation.

Small-scale fishing communities are increasingly recognised for their role in climate resilience, but are often overlooked in global discussions on ocean conservation.  As delegates gather in Mombasa for the first Our Ocean Conference on African soil, advocates say it is vital that these communities, especially women, have a significant voice in decisions that impact the future of marine and coastal ecosystems.

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It is reported that small-scale fisheries are essential to the livelihoods and food security of coastal communities on tropical coastlines around the world. Their stewardship of marine and coastal environments also helps protect shorelines from climate-related threats, conserves important blue carbon habitats and builds resilience in areas facing mounting environmental and economic challenges. Globally, one in 12 people rely on small-scale fishing, almost half of them women. Women make up almost half of this population. Their contributions are evident along the entire fisheries value chain, including harvesting, processing, marketing seafood and supporting household livelihoods. Despite this, women are often underrepresented in leadership and decision-making structures.

"We've seen time and again that conservation is at its strongest and most successful when local communities help lead," said Walsh. "And lasting protections require partnership. Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities, artisanal fishers, and local leaders must have a meaningful seat at the table."

The women from fishing and coastal communities said that they often remain excluded from decision-making processes despite their deep connection to the ocean and the natural resources on which their communities depend.

Amina Komora talked about her community.  Her story is one that shows how women lead coastal livelihoods and the barriers that remain.

The Sanye are an indigenous people along Kenya's coast, long marginalised and historically underrepresented in formal education, healthcare, and public institutions. Within the community, she said, teaching has always been the engine of growth. She described how traditional knowledge has been passed down through generations, with young people learning from elders and turning to the ocean for their livelihoods.

Komora said she learned fishing from her mother, often accompanying her to the water from a young age. Even after her mother's passing, she continued the work, now passing the knowledge on to her grandchildren while still fishing herself.  Yet, despite this dependence on marine resources, many Indigenous and fishing communities continue to be marginalised and left out of formal structures that govern fisheries and conservation.

She said women in the Sanye community have faced persistent exclusion and lack of recognition, even when formally registered as fishers.

"We have faced many challenges as Sanye women. Even when we register, our names are often removed from beneficiary lists for support programmes," she said. Komora added that the community has long struggled with being overlooked and underestimated despite its dependence on fishing for survival. However, they continue to push for recognition.

"We have been marginalised for a long time and made to feel like we cannot speak for ourselves, even though we are fishers," she said. "We want to be recognised as legal fishers, not forced to hide. If we are fishing, we should be able to do it with permits."

This is why this gathering (OOC11) mattered to her. For the first time, she said, there was space for the Sanye to tell their own story, on their own terms, even as she acknowledged that obstacles persist within indigenous teaching structures themselves. Komora said that the discussion offered a chance for others to better understand the knowledge, challenges and potential that exist within their communities.

She thanked the organisers and Blue Ventures for finally giving her community room to be seen.

The conversation also shed light on the barriers women face when pursuing careers in conservation and environmental protection.

A conservationist's reckoning

Raabia Hawa, founder and director of the Ulinzi Africa Foundation, has spent years defending Kenya's coastal and inland ecosystems, a path that, by her own telling, has cost her dearly.

Hawa said that her work has challenged traditional expectations within her community.  She said women were expected to dress and behave in certain ways and had few opportunities to interact with men outside their families. Her role in conservation meant she had to work publicly and engage with a diverse group of stakeholders, creating tension within her community and pressure on her family.

However, she said her father understood and supported her ambitions.

Before entering conservation full-time, Hawa worked in media, where many of the stories she covered focused on wildlife and environmental protection. Even then, she said, there was a consistent thread running through her work; the natural world kept pulling her back, no matter what other job she was doing. Eventually, the pull became impossible to ignore, and she left journalism behind for conservation work full-time.

She serves as an honorary wildlife warden with the Kenya Wildlife Service and later founded the Ulinzi Africa Foundation.

In the years that followed, Hawa faced threats linked to her environmental work. This is the kind of intimidation that has become an occupational hazard for many environmental defenders across the region and the world. But she didn't let those difficulties stop her from fighting hard to protect ecosystems and stand up for communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy natural resources.

The discussion kept returning to the unequal treatment of small-scale fishers and local communities and bigger industrial actors.

Hawa raised a grievance and questioned why the legal system treats environmental harm unevenly, depending on who causes it. Large-scale offenders such as industrial trawlers and extractive companies often escape serious consequences even when their damage is extensive and well documented, she said. She argued that small-scale fishers could face arrest and prosecution for far less serious offences.

She linked this imbalance to the unpaid, unrecognised labour of coastal women, tending mangroves, managing crab and fish stocks, work that underwrites the safety of the men who go out to sea, yet rarely receives institutional acknowledgement or protection.

Hawa also described a more recent fight involving a mining company that sought permits to prospect for heavy minerals across land spanning Lamu and Tana River Counties. These blocks reach towards the coast, including the dunes that protect Lamu's shoreline from erosion and storm surge, and serve as a freshwater reservoir. She said that local authorities and heritage bodies have separately and repeatedly flagged Lamu's dune systems as ecologically critical and increasingly degraded by unchecked construction and sand harvesting.

Rather than wait for institutions to act on their own, Hawa described a grassroots response coordinated through Ulinzi Africa Foundation. They identified and documented the proposed mining blocks. Community members mapped the proposed mining area, made information publicly available through open-source platforms, and worked to raise awareness among local residents and authorities.

The effort demonstrated how local knowledge and community action can influence environmental decision-making and help protect vulnerable ecosystems from destructive development.

The small-scale fishing women also talked about the need to safeguard the coastal ecosystem, such as mangrove forests, which play a vital role in the existence of marine life as well as the resilience of people against climate change effects. Mangrove forests have a direct influence on fish stocks as well as income generation and food security for many people living along the coast.

Zulfa Hassan, the elected leader of the Mtangawanda Women's Association on Pate Island in Lamu County, has spent years replanting mangrove forests that were cut down. The work earned her the nickname Mama Mikoko, "Mother Mangrove," in Swahili.

Lamu County holds the majority of Kenya's remaining mangrove cover. They buffer the coastline against erosion and storm surge, and they serve as nurseries for the fish and crabs that local households depend on for food and income. Hassan said

Working with neighbouring women's groups, she said, has helped lead efforts that have planted tens of thousands of mangrove seedlings across the islands of the Lamu archipelago. Hassan said that this work, done mostly by women, has begun to reshape how coastal resources are managed in a region where that role had traditionally belonged to men.

There have, however, been challenges associated with conservation work.

Women encountered opposition within their families and communities while taking on increasingly visible leadership roles in mangrove restoration. The traditional view of women restricted them to domestic duties, such as raising children, managing a household, and caring for their husbands.

Hassan called for stronger inclusion in decision-making processes that shape the management of marine and coastal resources, arguing that those who depend most directly on these ecosystems should also have a voice in how they are protected and used.

Small-scale fishers unite to demand representation

The conversation later expanded into a wider exchange with small-scale fishers from across Africa, who reflected on similar struggles and realities. Small-scale fishers from across the world were brought together at the conference to ensure their voices were represented, with a delegation of around 25 participants drawn from Africa's coastline, India and beyond.

James Logan, secretary-general of the Liberia Artisanal Fishermen Association (LAFA), said that he has worked at a fishing centre for many years and has engaged with more than 7,000 fishers over that period. He said that small-scale fishing communities make up a significant share of the population. He reflected on the long history of the sector and the pressures it has faced over time, including governance challenges and limited space for fishers to meaningfully influence decisions.

"We started at the very bottom, and over time we've had to fight to be heard," he said.

He said that small-scale fishers often face pressure from authorities while trying to sustain their livelihoods. He also raised concerns about top-down approaches to fisheries management, arguing that policies are often designed without adequate consultation with the communities most affected. "Many times, we don't even get the chance to meet decision-makers, yet they are the ones signing agreements and making decisions on our behalf," he said.

He warned that some coastal and fishing areas are under increasing strain from industrial activities, saying this threatens both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. "This is where we live; this is what we do every day," said James.

He stressed that fishers are deeply invested in protecting marine resources but need to be included in shaping sustainable solutions. He added that greater inclusion and knowledge-sharing with fishing communities are essential if the sector is to become truly sustainable and responsive to local realities.

Women fish processors push for leadership

Diaba Diop, the President of the Network of Women in Artisanal Fisheries in Senegal (REFEPAS), said that the National Network of Women Fish Processors (Réseau des femmes transformatrices de produits halieutiques du Sénégal) is a federation bringing together women's associations along Senegal's coastline that work in fish processing and related activities.

"We created this organisation to make sure women have a space to be heard and to participate in decision-making," she said. "It serves as a platform for consultation and advocacy when challenges arise."

Diop said that women in fisheries had long been part of mixed organisations dominated by men, where leadership roles were often limited. She said the federation, established in 2010, was created to strengthen women's autonomy and improve their ability to advocate for better rights within the fisheries sector. Today, the network operates across Senegal's main coastal regions, with coordination structures at the regional level to support information sharing and organisation.

She also highlighted some of the organisation's achievements, including partnerships with international and local actors working on fisheries and coastal development. Among its focus areas is sanitation in coastal communities, which she said has a direct impact on marine ecosystems and can also fuel conflicts between different groups in the fishing sector.

"These challenges affect our families directly," she said, adding that many women fish processors are closely linked to fishers as wives, mothers and community members. She said that this connection to the sector has driven collective action, including participation in broader coalitions advocating for sustainable fisheries in Senegal and beyond.

We need a seat at the table

Oluwafunmilola Shelika, the president of the African Women Fish Processors and Treated Fish Network, said women in fish processing across the continent have long been excluded from formal decision-making spaces despite their central role in the sector. She also serves as treasurer of the continental network, which she said currently spans 45 African countries, with representation from women processors in each national chapter.

"There is a woman from every country representing fish processors in their country," she said. Shelika said the push for organisation emerged from the recognition that women had historically been left out of fisheries governance discussions, despite their significant economic and social contributions.

"In 2017, we realised that women fish processors were not recognised. They were never given a seat at the table," she said.

Women in the sector carried multiple unpaid responsibilities at home while also working in fish processing and trading, often with limited profit margins and poor market access, said Shelika. The network was then created to ensure women are not only included in conversations but are also able to speak directly about the challenges they face.

"What we are doing is making sure women are in the room to speak about their challenges and have people listen to their stories," she said.

She said that the organisation focuses on strengthening women economically and institutionally, including training on fish handling, processing and packaging to improve product quality and shelf life. She also reflected on her personal experience in the sector, saying that challenges in accessing markets and complying with regulatory requirements as a fish exporter in Nigeria.

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She said the network is now working to leverage regional trade opportunities, including the African Continental Free Trade Area, to expand market access for women fish processors.

"It's a huge work, but we are trying to make sure women benefit from the opportunities that exist," she said, adding that partnerships with organisations such as Blue Ventures have supported their participation in international platforms.

Call for stronger fisheries enforcement

Jennifer Apoh-Sam, a member of the  Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG), said the country has recently strengthened its fisheries governance framework through a new law that provides legal backing for home-grown management systems.

She said that the legislation, introduced last year, also extends Ghana's Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) from six nautical miles to twelve, a move she said strengthens protection for small-scale fishers.

"In Ghana, a new act has been passed, and it gives us legal backing for our co-management processes," she said. Apoh-Sam added that the reform was championed by CaFGOAG with support from Blue Ventures and that efforts are now focused on implementing and enforcing the law.

She warned that without strong enforcement, industrial fishing activities could continue to encroach on areas reserved for small-scale fishers.

"If we don't enforce it, livelihoods will be affected. They will still come into our waters and take what belongs to small-scale fishers," she said.

She said that enforcement would be critical to protecting both livelihoods and food security for coastal communities. Apoh-Sam also said fisher groups are prepared to support implementation efforts on the ground, but stressed the need for continued logistical and technical support from partners. She called for sustained collaboration to ensure the reforms translate into real improvements for fishing communities.

We are not small, fishers speak out

Mamadou Sarr, a veteran fisherman from Senegal and representative of the Platform of Actors of Artisanal Fisheries (PAPAS), said he has spent decades in the sector and remains actively involved in fisheries governance despite his age.

Born in 1967, he described himself as a long-serving fisher from Popenguine, where he continues to work within coastal fishing communities. Sarr said PAPAS brings together a wide network of artisanal fishing organisations across Senegal, including fisher groups, local fisheries councils and women fish processors. He said that the platform acts as a watchdog for the sector, helping to identify and report harmful practices affecting coastal and fishing communities.

"We are like a sentinel. If there are bad practices, we report them so things can move in the right direction," he said.

He added that the platform also uses reporting mechanisms to raise concerns about illegal or destructive fishing activities, which are shared with relevant authorities. He said small-scale fishers are often underestimated, despite their scale and importance in coastal economies. Their voices are frequently marginalised both nationally and internationally.

"We are called small-scale fishers, but we are not small. Our voices are often ignored," he said.

He credited NGO support for helping fisher organisations gain visibility and access to platforms such as international conferences. Sarr also highlighted PAPAS, the national platform he leads in Senegal, which brings together artisanal fishers, including men, women and community organisations. He said the platform recently helped coordinate a national petition against fisheries agreements, which brought together fishers across the country and influenced government decisions.

"This showed the strength of unity among fishers," he said, adding that such collective action helps strengthen their voice in fisheries governance.