Recognising Community Fisheries Governance as OECMs: Policy Opportunities From Tanzania’s Collaborative Fisheries Management Areas

Abstract

Achieving the global 30 × 30 biodiversity target requires conservation approaches that extend beyond formally designated protected areas. The concept of Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) acknowledges that biodiversity protection can emerge from diverse governance systems, including those primarily designed for resource management. Tanzania offers a relevant example through Collaborative Fisheries Management Areas (CFMAs), which are a multi-village co-management arrangement linking Beach Management Units (BMUs) to regulate fishing across shared marine ecosystems. Although established to sustain fisheries and coastal livelihoods, CFMAs may contribute to ecological stewardship through locally negotiated fisheries management practices. Yet their potential relevance to OECMs remains insufficiently examined, reflecting the historical dominance of protected-area-centred conservation approaches within Tanzania’s biodiversity policy and reporting frameworks. We argue that CFMAs represent an overlooked pathway for operationalising OECMs while strengthening inclusive conservation policy. Piloting participatory OECM assessments within selected CFMAs could provide a pragmatic step toward equitable implementation of global biodiversity commitments.