Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Enforcement Exchange

In February 2026, nineteen marine managers from eight Western Indian Ocean (WIO) countries gathered in Mombasa, Keyna for a regional learning exchange focused on strengthening Monitoring, Control, Surveillance, and Enforcement (MCS&E) in marine protected areas (MPAs). Co-hosted by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), WildAid, and the Blue Nature Alliance, the exchange created a collaborative space for managers to share experiences, explore innovations, and build regional connections while addressing persistent enforcement challenges, including access to remote geographies, limited resources and technology, weak governance, and low community engagement.

The primary objective of the exchange was to elevate MCS&E capacity so that MPAs across the region are better equipped to achieve their ecological and socio-economic goals. Throughout the convening, participants engaged in peer-to-peer learning, exchanged experiences from across WIO countries, and explored practical applications of tools such as Earth Ranger, remote vessel monitoring, and satellite-based systems.

A key tangible outcome of the exchange was the use of a diagnostic “RADAR” tool – adapted from WildAid’s Blueprint Marine Protection System framework – to help each country identify priority actions to strengthen MCS&E. The tool supported participants in recognizing gaps and defining enabling conditions for effective MCS&E implementation, such as policy improvements, community engagement, partnerships, and sustainable funding. Based on these diagnostic assessments, each country developed a localized “Sail Plan” outlining a pathway for advancing MCS&E effectiveness and a set of actionable priorities to share across government departments, partners, and other stakeholders.

Participants left the exchange with new relationships, a strong regional peer network and – at their request – an emerging mentorship framework that pairs experienced MPA managers with emerging leaders. Continued collaboration among participants will be supported through follow-up virtual sessions and regular national chapter meetings, including efforts to integrate insights from the exchange into the Western Indian Ocean MPA Network’s (WIOMPAN) broader strategy for strengthening MPA management effectiveness across the region.

Learn more

• To learn more about the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Enforcement Exchange, please visit this blog, and the blog on enforcement brief.
• More information on MPA Monitoring, Control, Surveillance, and Enforcement (MCS&E) tools and strategies can be found in the MPA Enforcement Toolkit developed by the Reef Resilience Network in partnership with the Blue Nature Alliance and WILDAid.
• The section on scoping an MCS&E, can be downloaded here.

Words by Lihla Noori, lnoori@conservation.org, Blue Nature Alliance and Madeline Beattie, mbeattie@conservation.org, Blue Nature Alliance.

Thumbnail: Photo by Victor Birai on Unsplash

The Blue Nature Alliance aims to catalyze 18 million square kilometers of ocean conservation area in collaboration with governments, NGOs, Indigenous peoples and local communities, ocean conservation experts, scientists, communities of practice, and financial strategist. Working in partnership at all levels – from local to national leadership – we create and implement bold, transformative plans at scale. The Blue Nature Alliance brings together the technical expertise, financial support, global network, and lessons learned to achieve clear, shared, and time-bound goals for establishing or expanding ocean conservation areas and improving management or strengthening levels of protection in existing protected areas. Visit the website: www.bluenaturealliance.org

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) is dedicated to promoting the education, scientific, and technological development of all aspects of marine science throughout the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region, with a view toward sustaining the use and conservation of its marine resources. Visit the website: www.wiomsa.org