The Marine and Coastal Observations for Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean (MarCOSIO) programme, part of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and Africa initiative, supports the development of local capabilities, institutional capacity and access to technical resources to deliver Earth observation (EO)-based services for sustainable development in Africa.

From 26 to 30 May 2025, the MarCOSIO Fisheries Exchange Workshop brought together fisheries stakeholders from partner countries to discuss the merits of MarCOSIO services and their continued integration into regional governance frameworks, ensuring their practical application.

takeaway was the importance of integrating local knowledge with cutting-edge data and technology. Hearing firsthand accounts from Jonathan Killow, CSIR project coordinator in the eGovernment impact area, said, “A key fishers about their experiences with mobile applications designed to improve safety and access to markets was inspiring and enlightening.” Killow noted that the feedback underscored the significance of participatory approaches in developing EO-based fisheries services that address community needs.

The workshop was officially opened by the guest of honour, Prof. Riziki S. Shemdoe, Permanent Secretary at Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, with remarks by Dr Ismael Kimirei, Director-General of Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) and a welcome from Mary Kishe, Director of Research, Development and Coordination at TAFIRI.

The workshop aimed to bring together diverse stakeholders, including fisheries managers, scientists and artisanal fishers to explore and improve collaborative strategies for fisheries management and conservation. Focusing on the MarCOSIO platform and partner technologies, the event will feature insightful presentations from key partner applications such as Abalobi, TAFIRI, Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO) and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. The overarching goal was to integrate cutting-edge information technology with traditional fishing practices to promote sustainable harvesting and support equitable livelihoods.

Workshop objectives:

• To introduce MarCOSIO and its role in delivering services for fisheries management to regional stakeholders.
• To showcase the current work and methodologies of ABALOBI, TAFIRI and CORDIO through live demonstrations and in-depth technical sessions.
• To engage with stakeholders on the current and potential future contributions of MarCOSIO towards sustainable harvesting and reef conservation strategies.
• To facilitate open dialogue and gather constructive feedback to guide future actions and service development.
   

Presentations from the CSIR and several other MarCOSIO partners provided participants with an overview of the GMES and Africa Programme, with a focus on the Marine Consortia. These sessions highlight the importance of fisheries services in improving livelihood security for artisanal fishers across the region.

TAFIRI and ABALOBI showcased mobile applications co-developed with artisanal fishers to enhance safety at sea, improve catch efficiency and expand access to markets. These presentations sparked lively discussions, enriched by personal testimonies from the fishers in attendance.

The MarCOSIO consortium includes representatives from Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar and Mauritius.

Fisheries services offered through MarCOSIO aim to equip fishers across various sectors, as well as regulators, with tools to optimise fishing efforts, improve safety at sea, access real-time environmental data and monitor illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.