Kenya Uses Solar Trackers to Save Struggling Fisheries

Mohamed Mwazigona stared at his morning catch of just 4 pounds of fish and wondered how much longer he could keep fishing. The 58-year-old Kenyan fisher had already moved to a new beach searching for better waters, but the problem followed him: too many fishers chasing too few fish.

Now, a new project is giving fishers like Mwazigona the data they need to survive. WorldFish, a nonprofit research organization, is installing solar-powered trackers on fishing boats and creating a digital platform that shows fishers where and when to catch fish sustainably.

The technology is already working on 150 boats along Kenya's coast. Each boat owner uses a simple phone app to log their catch details, while the tracker sends real-time location data to a central dashboard. Government officials can now see fishing patterns across the entire coastline from a single screen.

The program is based on a successful system in Timor-Leste that started in 2016. That country had the same problem Kenya faces: fishers and government officials were making decisions blindly because nobody had accurate information about what was actually happening in the water.

For years, Kenya's beach management units tried collecting data on paper. That changed to digital in 2022, but challenges remained: poor infrastructure, limited funding, and fishers who were hesitant to share information. It took years of explanation before small-scale fishers agreed to participate.

Mwazigona sees the potential benefits clearly. If he could use his catch data to access loans, he could buy his own fishing equipment instead of renting a communal boat for every trip. The BMU's data sharing has already brought some support, like boat donations from nonprofits, but fishers want more.

The Ripple Effect

The project goes beyond helping individual fishers make better decisions. The centralized database is part of a seven-year program called the Asia-Africa BlueTech Superhighway, which aims to restore marine ecosystems in five countries: Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Bangladesh.

Thirty government-funded workers now collect data at landing sites using digital devices. Scientists can track fishing effort, catch sizes, and revenue patterns to help create policies that protect both the ocean and the people who depend on it. The same technology that helps Mwazigona find fish today could help ensure his children have fish to catch tomorrow.

Real data is replacing guesswork, and Kenya's struggling fishers finally have a tool that works for them and the ocean at the same time.