Participants expressed their interest in protecting the marine environment and their livelihoods from the threats posed by habitat destruction and overfishing, emphasizing that the marine environment is critical to the local economies of both communities. Participants provided many ideas to ensure a sustainable future for their fisheries. These included developing a marine protected area around the mangrove islands near Zeila and putting lobster fishing regulations in place in Bander Beyla. Both strategies will need further discussion, planning, and research before they can be implemented, but these meetings show that the co-management-facilitated communication between the government and communities can result in positive outcomes for community members and the marine environment.
