Our new marine strategy is based on 18 months of discussions with stakeholders at the local, national and international levels, as well as on the success of the first No-Take-Zone ...managed by fishers in the Comoros, facilitated by Dahari in 2021. We aim to restore the country’s reefs by establishing a network of fisher-managed reserves, which will maximize benefits for both fisheries and biodiversity, while fostering learning and mutual support among fishers.

This strategy is built upon five essential pillars that ensure an approach that is both context-specific and adaptable:

• Co-designing reserves with fishermen, by involving all groups of fishers and incorporating ecological and social criteria.
• Co-designing governance by fishermen which avoids institutions imposed from the outside, by using a two-tiered system in which local authorities validate and support the decisions made by fishers.
• Encouraging compliance with management measures by offering direct benefits integrated into fishery value chains to strengthen existing livelihoods.
• Advocating for the rights of fishermen and for the legal and political recognition of the model, building upon a well-established collaboration with the Comoros’ Directorate General for Fisheries Resources.
• Ensuring data-driven learning derived from reef monitoring, fishery catches, and socio-economic aspects, to inform adaptive management and strengthen recognition of the model.

Download our strategy to learn more about our theory of change and our expansion plans: https://daharicomores.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Dahari-Marine-Strategy-2025-2030.pdf