During the recent Regenerative Ocean Week, WIOMSA and IUCN supported by the Blue Nature Alliance, organised a stakeholder workshop on the Legal and Institutional Recognition of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) to address governance challenges that hinder LMMA recognition.
For nearly two decades, LMMAs have played a pivotal role in enhancing fisheries productivity, biodiversity conservation, and local livelihoods in the region. Despite their success, formal recognition under national legal frameworks has been impeded by governance gaps, conflicting policies, and limited institutional coordination.
WIOMSA convened representatives from governmental agencies, NGOs, and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to present preliminary findings from a study that assessed legal and policy frameworks across Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Comoros, and Mozambique. The workshop highlighted the varying legal definitions of LMMAs, overlapping mandates among agencies, and policy gaps that limit integration into national conservation strategies. Participants engaged in discussions to validate these findings and explore opportunities for aligning national policies with international frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and IUCN’s OECMs.
Throughout the session, attendees developed recommendations for policy reforms, a roadmap for enhanced institutional coordination, and priority areas for further advocacy. The workshop ultimately served as a platform to advance LMMA governance and support sustainable coastal management in the WIO region.