KILIFI, KENYA
strengthening Fisheries Co-Management
Strengthening Fisheries Co-Management for Resilient Ecosystems and Communities in Kilifi County
Along Kenya’s north coast, fishing is central to both livelihoods and food security. In the TAMKIBO Joint Co-Management Area (JCMA) in Kilifi County, communities depend on productive coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and intertidal habitats to sustain fisheries and the local economy. Yet increasing fishing pressure, habitat degradation and climate change are placing these ecosystems—and the communities that depend on them—under growing strain.
CORDIO East Africa, with support from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), is implementing an 18-month project from July 2026 to February 2028 to strengthen inclusive fisheries co-management in the TAMKIBO JCMA. The project will support communities and fisheries institutions to improve the sustainable use of priority fisheries, strengthen ecosystem health and build resilience through better governance, monitoring and adaptive, data-driven management.
Covering approximately 481 km² west of Takaungu Creek, the TAMKIBO JCMA brings together the Takaungu, Mnarani, Kilifi Central and Bofa Beach Management Units (BMUs). Together, the four BMUs have 1,324 registered members, including 791 active fishers, while an estimated 67% of households in the area depend directly on fishing and fish trade.
The location of TAMKIBO JCMA in Kilifi County – CORDIO East Africa (2026)
TAMKIBO JCMA at a Glance
The JCMA encompasses coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and intertidal habitats that support a range of important small-scale fisheries, including octopus, basket trap and small-scale tuna fisheries.
These resources, however, face multiple pressures. Unsustainable and illegal fishing practices—including the use of monofilament nets and spearguns, ringnet fishing within exclusion zones, and fishing by unlicensed fishers and vessels—place additional pressure on fish stocks and habitats. Coral reefs and mangroves are also affected by damaging practices and coastal activities, while gaps in BMU institutional capacity, fisheries data and enforcement limit effective management.
Leveraging Data, Governance and Inclusion
The project builds on the existing TAMKIBO JCMA Plan (2024–2028), strengthening the capacity of communities and government institutions to put agreed management measures into practice.
A central focus will be strengthening the governance and institutional effectiveness of the four BMUs and the wider JCMA. Governance assessments will identify capacity needs and inform targeted training and mentorship for BMU leaders, sub-committees and assembly members. Particular attention will be given to increasing the participation and leadership of women and young people, including training for 20 women and 10 youth and the establishment of four Gender Champions.
The project will also support implementation of the JCMA management plan through improved zonation, fisheries closures, patrols and compliance. This includes supporting a 56-hectare fisheries closure at Vuma and initiating the process for a second 71-hectare closure at Kitoka. Patrol teams will receive support to strengthen monitoring, reporting and enforcement of fisheries regulations.
Effective co-management depends on communities and decision-makers having access to reliable information about the resources they are managing.
CORDIO will strengthen fisheries and ecosystem monitoring within TAMKIBO by training eight fisheries data collectors to collect and submit monthly catch data. Findings will be shared back through quarterly feedback processes, helping ensure that information gathered from fisheries is used in management discussions and decisions.
Alongside fisheries monitoring, six community coral reef monitors will be trained to participate in annual reef monitoring. Bringing fisheries and ecological information together will provide a clearer picture of changes in catches, fishing pressure and ecosystem condition, allowing management measures to be reviewed and adapted as conditions change.
This approach places evidence at the centre of co-management: data collected locally can inform discussions among BMUs, government agencies and partners and help communities assess whether management measures are delivering the intended results.
Projecting Impact
The project is also designed to ensure that lessons from TAMKIBO can inform fisheries management elsewhere.
Peer-to-peer exchanges will give community members opportunities to learn from other fisheries co-management experiences, while participation in regional platforms such as the Bahari Learning Network will connect local practitioners with a wider community working on coastal and marine resource management.
The project will document and communicate lessons emerging from implementation, helping share effective practices and challenges with communities, practitioners and decision-makers beyond the JCMA.
By February 2028, the project aims to deliver tangible improvements in the capacity and systems underpinning fisheries co-management in TAMKIBO. Beyond strengthened patrol, reporting and compliance systems, it is targeting outcomes, including:
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50 BMU members trained,
including JCMA sub-committee and assembly members
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8 fisheries data collectors trained
to provide monthly catch data
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6 community coral reef monitors trained
for participatory annual monitoring
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20 women and youth supported
in taking up and managing leadership roles
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4 Gender Champions established
to support gender inclusion and participation
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1 fisheries closure established
and a second initiated
Partnering for Success
