Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development and management of marine recreational and sport fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean

In the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region, information and data on marine recreational fisheries (MRF) is lacking, which undermines efforts towards their sustainable development. Our paper reviews the challenges and opportunities for sustainably developing marine recreational fisheries in the WIO. We identified several challenges that are discussed in two broad categories: (i) governance and (ii) socio-cultural and economic. We also show that addressing these challenges requires a holistic understanding of the socio-ecological complexities and the multi-scale nature of WIO MRF. Realizing the potential for sustainable development of this sector calls for the involvement of coastal communities in the sharing of benefits and decision-making. Further, coordinated efforts between the multi-government agencies and non-governmental organizations is critical for integrating recreational fisheries into local and national agendas. We conclude that the sustainable development of MRF in the WIO region is possible. Still, such growth will be dependent upon the sustained capacity building of coastal communities and indigenous fishers, collaboration from stakeholders, and the long-term sustainability of the resource.