By Michael Mallya
I left the Roundtable with both hope and unease. Hope, because the stories shared by community leaders, marine experts, and policymakers revealed that we already know what works. Unease, because the scale of IUUF still threatens to outpace our collective response.
Listening to the voices in that room was like tracing the pulse of the Indian Ocean itself. Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries described how villages once plagued by dynamite fishing, 20 or 30 blasts a day, have now seen those numbers fall to nearly zero. The turnaround came through joint patrols, community vigilance, and coordinated government action.
From Kenya came another example: community rangers, trained and supported by local networks, have prosecuted illegal operators with a 100% conviction rate. In Zanzibar, fishers who once relied on destructive gear are now trading harmful nets for sustainable alternatives that give the ocean space to recover.
These are not isolated victories. They are proof that when enforcement meets innovation, and when communities are given ownership, real change happens.
But gaps remain. Tanzania struggles to monitor its vast Exclusive Economic Zone with limited resources. Illegal vessels slip into neighboring waters when challenged. Regulations often lag behind the realities of industrial fleets. And communities warned that without alternative livelihoods, enforcement alone risks leaving families behind.
As Dr. Baraka Sekadende of Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries reminded us:
“Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing undermines not only our economy but also the food security of millions of East Africans. The Jahazi Project offers us a unifying platform to confront this threat with the urgency it demands.”
The solutions are within reach. Technology must be our ally. Tanzania is already using drones to monitor vessel monitoring systems in deep-sea zones. Scaling up such tools region-wide could help detect illegal operators faster and close enforcement gaps.
As Dr. Mathew Silas of the Deep Sea Fishing Authority put it: “Our ocean is vast, and no single country can patrol or protect it alone. With shared technologies, harmonized laws, and initiatives like the Jahazi Project, we can close the gaps and make our waters safer and more productive for everyone.”
We must also think and act as a region. A boat chased from Tanzanian waters should not find refuge in Kenya or Mozambique. Harmonized regulations, shared data, and cross-border patrols are essential. Establishing regional data platforms was a recurring call at the Roundtable—and one that could fundamentally change how East Africa defends its marine wealth.
Solutions must also start from the shore. Beach management units and community-led patrols prove that those closest to the problem are often best placed to lead solutions—when empowered with tools and authority. At the same time, families cannot be expected to abandon unsustainable fishing practices without viable alternatives. Investment in aquaculture, ecotourism, and sustainable seafood markets is critical. As one participant noted: “Conservation cannot compete with hunger.”
The energy and creativity of young people must be part of this transformation. Across the region, youth-led innovations—like mobile apps for reporting blast fishing or ambassador programs training fishers to track bycatch—are showing real promise. But too often, they remain small due to lack of resources. Greater investment could turn these grassroots efforts into powerful regional tools.
Finally, inclusion must guide every step. Women, who form the backbone of post-harvest fisheries, and young people, who represent the future of coastal economies, must be woven into every program and policy. A blue economy that excludes half the population is not sustainable—it is incomplete.
What struck me most at the Blue Voices Roundtable was how interconnected the ocean makes us. A reef destroyed in Zanzibar weakens fisheries that feed families in Seychelles. Tuna populations in Tanzanian waters cannot be safeguarded without international cooperation. IUUF knows no borders; neither can our response.
The call emerging from The Jahazi Project is unmistakable: we must row together—Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, and Mauritius—as one region. Governments must enforce laws with resolve. Development partners must fund grassroots initiatives already proving their worth. Consumers and businesses must demand transparency in seafood supply chains. Civil society must keep innovating, monitoring, and holding decision-makers accountable.
The Indian Ocean has long carried the trade winds, cultures, and livelihoods of East Africa. Whether it continues to sustain us or becomes a cautionary tale of neglect depends on the choices we make now.
The tide can turn. But only if we act as one region, one community, bound by the shared future of our ocean.