Community-Led Data Collection by a Kenyan Beach Management Unit (BMU)
Post
Published 30. May 2025 by Fiona in
Chale BMU Co-Management Area
ABALOBI in Kenya; reflecting on the past year.

Since kicking off our exciting partnership with Chale Beach Management Unit (BMU) in Kenya in 2022, the ABALOBI team have revisited on a number of occasions, most recently in May 2025 to review and reflect on the past year's progress and opportunities. As with every trip, the candid discussions held about the challenges fishers face to brainstorming new solutions, reinforced ABALOBI’s commitment to empowering fishing communities to secure sustainable futures.

Turning Conversations into Action

The engagement proved highly successful and productive, achieving its core objectives:

  • Reviewing progress over the past year,
  • Exploring data feedback mechanisms to enhance transparency,
  • Introducing training on the ABALOBI data portal to empower users, and
  • Collaboratively identifying key challenges and opportunities for the upcoming project phase.

Through these efforts, the session fostered meaningful dialogue, strengthened community engagement, and laid a clear foundation for future growth. Together, we can turn conversations into action, ensuring that small-scale fishers have the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.

Taking Stock; Reflections on the Past Year

Casha from ABALOBI facilitated a reflection session, inviting the community to review the year’s progress. Although participants acknowledged that change can feel gradual, the collective achievements were clear. The session underscored the importance of taking stock, with community members contributing their reflections and highlights.

Accessing & Managing the Data; Tech Station Management & Data Portal Training

The community discussed the long-term management and sustainability of the tech station, with ABALOBI emphasizing the need for forward planning—including equipment replacement within a 3–5-year timeframe.

A demonstration of the data portal showcased how fishers' data is collected, stored, and accessed. The group agreed to nominate one member for dedicated training on portal usage. Once selected, this individual will receive further support from the ABALOBI team.

Monitoring Impact; Survey Feedback

Casha presented results from the August 2024 ABALOBI Monitor impact survey, prompting reflections on perceived changes and project impact. Additional surveys will be conducted in the coming months to track trends and strengthen the dataset.

Visualising Data; Feedback from the Fisher App

Key fishing data visualisations were reviewed using guiding questions like 'What does the graph show?', 'Are there notable patterns?' and 'Is the data accurate and useful?' For example, the Monthly Fisher Logs (see graph in Gallery); Participants easily identified seasonal trends, linking logging spikes to the number of fishers at sea. We also discussed the Income v Expenses graph and how fishers can extract useful info to aid in their financial planning.

Project Challenges & Opportunities

A key challenge is distinguishing active vs. inactive fishers on the app. While the BMU will handle governance, ABALOBI will assist by cross-referencing logged data with a provided list of registered fishers. Additionally, linking Fisher and Monitor app data was proposed, though fisher names (entered as free text) complicate tracking.

Drag Net Survey Feedback

Only one fisher currently uses a drag net and has consistently reported observations. Though no recent activity was recorded, the group agreed that re-surveying all 18 monitors would strengthen data reliability and evidence of change.

Looking forward

Ideas and activities for the Next Project Phase include:

  • Onboarding sessions at landing sites to expand participation
  • Basic data analysis training for fishers
  • Fish handling techniques workshops
  • Infrastructure improvements at two additional landing sites

As these cross-border connections grow, so too does the potential for transformative change. Kenyan and South African fishers are proving that collaboration is key to tackling the complex challenges facing small-scale fisheries. With shared learnings and innovative tools like ABALOBI’s apps, they are paving the way for a future where fishing communities thrive, marine ecosystems flourish, and sustainable practices become the norm.