Djibouti validates a key study on the economic impact of artisanal fisheries

A validation workshop on the economic and financial impact of artisanal fisheries was held in Djibouti, bringing together experts from the Ministry of Fisheries, economic operators, NGOs, and fishing cooperatives. The event, organised by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in collaboration with Djibouti’s Ministry of Fisheries, was part of the ECOFISH programme funded by the European Union.

The main objective was to better understand the economic contribution of artisanal fisheries value chains to the national and local economy — in terms of added value, employment, and income generation — while also assessing the sustainability of resource exploitation: impacts on fish stocks, marine ecosystems, and blue growth potential.

According to Marc Maminiaina, Project Officer at the IOC, these two days of exchanges with all stakeholders led to concrete recommendations intended to be integrated into Djibouti’s national fisheries policy. The aim is twofold: to strengthen food security for fishing communities and to increase the sector’s contribution to the national GDP.

«The IOC, through the ECOFISH programme, hopes that the recommendations from this workshop will be fully integrated into national policies, in order to sustainably unlock the potential of artisanal fisheries in Djibouti», he stated.

For his part, Dr. Soobachand Swenarain, Technical Coordinator of the ECOFISH programme, stressed that the study provided a clear picture of the sector: its contribution to GDP, the jobs created, and the revenues generated. Pathways have been identified to improve these indicators through resource mobilisation mechanisms, thereby transforming artisanal fisheries into a cornerstone of Djibouti’s blue economy.

« With limited means, we believe these recommendations will have a real and lasting impact on small-scale fisheries in Djibouti,» he declared.

Djibouti’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) covers around 7,190 km², with a 372 km coastline and a continental shelf of 2,492 km², particularly wide in the north (Obock) and south (Somali border). The total available biomass is estimated at 102,000 tonnes, of which around 47,600 tonnes could be sustainably harvested each year.

Today, about 600 artisanal fishers are active in the country, organised into five associations or cooperatives. This reflects a sector that remains underexploited but holds strong development prospects, provided that political, financial, and institutional frameworks for artisanal fisheries are strengthened.