Digital tracking technologies and socio-economic outcomes in small scale fishing communities along the Kenyan coast

Government and fisheries agencies in Africa now actively use digital tracking tools to manage fish stock. In Kenya, authorities have deployed Internet of Things (IoT) based monitoring tools such as Pelagic Data Systems (PDS), Electronic Monitoring (EM) and Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) as part of a broader fisheries management strategy. Although these tools are intended to improve and advance sustainable fish stock management, very little is known about how they affect the daily lives of artisanal fishing families in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale.

This study will examine how the adoption of digital tracking technologies affects the socio-economic outcomes of small-scale fishers in these coastal communities. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study will quantitatively examine changes in fishing income, catch volume, trip frequency and market

access through structured questionnaires and multiple regression analysis, comparing sites that use these technologies with those that don’t. Qualitatively, key informant interviews and focus group discussions will capture the fishers' perceptions, community awareness, trust in institutions, governance dynamics and surveillance concerns.

This study will use data from catch records, income surveys, digital dashboards from Pelagic Data Systems (PDS) and Peskas, Beach Compliance Unit (BMU) logs, and Kenya Fisheries Service (KeFS) reports. Early findings show digital monitoring may improve data quality. However, poorer and more marginalised fishers bear most of the compliance costs, with little improvement in their livelihoods. Findings should help create more equitable, community-centred fisheries technology governance along the Kenyan coast.