A shared vision: regional data harmonization for resilient small-scale fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean

Effective fisheries management in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) is currently hindered by a lack of timely, harmonized data, which undermines the formulation of evidence-based policies. To address this gap, this study utilizes the Integrated Data Harmonization Framework (IDHF) to: (1) examine gaps and limitations in existing digital data collection systems in the region; (2) identify challenges and solutions for harmonizing small-scale fisheries (SSF) data; and (3) develop a strategic roadmap for national and regional data integration. While high-quality data is essential for sustainable governance, stakeholders perceived existing fisheries data systems in the region as performing inadequately, with a predominant focus on conventional catch metrics and insufficient attention to socio-economic indicators such as market value chains, prices, and costs. Consequently, these systems fail to provide the real-time insights necessary to track stock exploitation or evaluate the effectiveness of management measures. Key obstacles include technical and methodological inconsistencies, data access and trust issues, resource and capacity deficits, institutional and policy barriers, and lack of incentives for data providers. To overcome these obstacles, the study proposes establishing standardized frameworks and legal protocols for information exchange, alongside efforts to strengthen technical and financial capacity and integrate community-based monitoring. By leveraging digital tools to streamline data flow, the provided roadmap offers a clear path toward standardized data-sharing guidelines. Ultimately, these recommendations aim to foster institutional collaboration and improve decision-making to ensure the long-term sustainability of fishery resources across the WIO region.