Our new marine strategy builds on 18 months of reflection with stakeholders at local, national and international levels, as well as the success of the first permanent reserve managed by fishermen in the Comoros, facilitated by Dahari in 2021. We aim to restore the country's reefs by establishing a network of fishermen-managed reserves, which will maximize benefits for fisheries and biodiversity, while promoting learning and mutual support among fishermen.
This strategy is based on five essential pillars which guarantee a context-adapted and scalable approach:
- Co-designing reserves with fishermen, by involving all groups of fishermen and integrating ecological and social criteria.
- Co-designing governance by fishermen which avoids externally imposed institutions, using a two-tier system where local authorities validate and support the decisions of fishermen.
- Encourage compliance with the measures by providing direct benefits integrated into fisheries value chains to strengthen existing livelihoods.
- Advocating for the rights of fishermen and for the legal and political recognition of the model based on a well-established collaboration with the General Directorate of Fisheries Resources of the Comoros.
- Ensuring data-driven learning from reef monitoring, fisheries catches and socio-economic aspects to feed adaptive management and strengthen pattern recognition.
Download our strategy to learn more about our theory of change and our expansion plans: https://daharicomores.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dahari-Marine-Strategy-2025-2030.pdf
