How to make Western Indian Ocean’s small-scale fisheries more sustainable

Small-scale fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean are vital to food security, livelihoods, and coastal economies, supporting over 65 million people. Yet, SSFs face mounting threats from various factors, including overexploitation, climate change, and weakly integrated governance systems. Despite growing evidence of climate impacts, critical gaps remain in understanding how these changes affect fisheries and in translating this knowledge into effective policy and practice. This policy brief highlights the urgent need to strengthen the science–policy–practice nexus, enhance cross-sector coordination, and embed climate resilience into fisheries governance to secure sustainable and equitable fisheries management outcomes for the region.