Achieving SDG 14 in the African Small Island Developing States of the Indian Ocean

Abstract

Humans are inextricably connected to the ocean , yet the challenges facing marine areas and resources have received little global attention until recently. For the first time, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly include marine issues. SDG 14 focuses on ‘life below water’ and the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and resources. SDG 14 is particularly important for the African island States in the Indian Ocean as they rely heavily on marine resources for economic development , livelihoods and sustenance. These countries also have blue economy agendas centred on achieving future wealth from the oceans . These micro-jurisdictions are often overlooked, but deserve greater attention as they are small island developing states (SIDS) or least developed countries (LDCs) with limited resources to address ocean issues, and have emerging innovative approaches that that may offer broader lessons to other maritime nations. This chapter explores efforts made to achieve SDG 14 sustainable fishery management goals by focusing on the small-scale artisanal fishing sector in the Indian Ocean SIDS and effective collaborations between governments and communities.