Community Co-Management (LMMA)
Kenya's first LMMA. 120 km² under a formal management plan signed in 2022, placing communities at the centre of marine governance. A landmark in Kenyan marine governance history.
With us and partners: Kenya Ministry of Blue Economy · Kilifi County Government
In January 2022, Oceans Alive Foundation made history: delivering Kenya's first formal ocean co-management plan under new government guidelines. The plan places 150 km² of sea - an area the size of a small city - under structured community stewardship, with Beach Management Units and local government sharing governance responsibility.
The LMMA (Locally Managed Marine Area) model is the culmination of nearly two decades of relationship-building between Oceans Alive, Kilifi County Government, the Kenya Ministry of Blue Economy, and the fishing communities who live at the heart of this work. What began with 30 hectares at Kuruwitu in 2003 is now a 120 km² internationally recognised governance blueprint.
Community co-management means that the people who fish the sea also write the rules about how it is fished. Rotational no-take zones, gear transition programmes, seasonal closures - all driven by community data, community decisions, and community enforcement. It's governance by the people it protects.
Partners
Kenya Ministry of Blue Economy · Kilifi County Government
Programme
Community Co-Management (LMMA)
Governance · Programme 02
A Beach Management Unit (BMU) meeting - community voices shaping marine policy
Co-management planning sessions bring together fishers, elders and government officials
“When communities own their conservation, they defend it. When it provides livelihoods, they sustain it.”
- Oceans Alive Foundation
Connected Work
Related Programmes
Coral Reef Restoration
Kenya's most active community-led coral nursery. 25,000+ colonies hand-planted since 2019. Local fishers trained and employed as reef gardeners.
Kilifi BMU Network
Connecting and strengthening Beach Management Units across Kilifi County to ensure fishers' voices reach decision-makers at county and national level.
Marine Governance & Policy
Translating community-collected data into national marine policy frameworks. OAF presented findings at IUCN 2025, placing the Kilifi model on the global conservation stage.
Support This Programme
Your donation directly funds conservation work on Kenya's coast.