Communities Must Be Heard in Ocean Governance, Says Nancy OgonjeMOMBASA, Kenya – Coastal communities

 must have a permanent seat at the decision-making table on ocean conservation and governance, according to Nancy Ogonje, Executive Director of the East African Wildlife Society and Chair of the Western Indian Ocean Civil Society Consortium (WIO-CSO).

Speaking during consultations ahead of the 11th Our Ocean Conference, Ogonje said the "Our Ocean, Our Voice" campaign was created to ensure that the concerns, priorities and solutions from communities directly affected by marine challenges are represented in global discussions.

"This conference is coming to Africa for the first time, and it was important to bring the voices of communities into these high-level discussions because they are the people most affected by marine pollution, climate change and ocean degradation," she said.

Ogonje noted that coastal communities depend heavily on ocean resources for their livelihoods and therefore bear the greatest impact of environmental degradation and policy decisions affecting marine ecosystems.

The campaign sought to strengthen the role of civil society organizations in influencing commitments at the 11th Our Ocean Conference by elevating Africa's priorities, perspectives and leadership in ocean governance.

She emphasized that communities understand the challenges they face and often possess practical solutions, even if they do not use technical conservation language.

"Communities know the issues that affect them. They know the challenges they face and they know the solutions that can support them. What they need are strategic partnerships that can strengthen their livelihoods and enable them to do more," she said.

According to Ogonje, civil society organizations play a critical role in bridging the gap between communities and policymakers. Through consultations and engagements, organizations collected community views and translated them into policy recommendations, resulting in a manifesto and policy briefs that can guide decision-makers.

The initiative conducted direct consultations across Kenya's coastal counties, including Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River and Lamu. Additional regional consultations were undertaken through the Western Indian Ocean Civil Society Consortium, involving networks and stakeholders from across the region.

The campaign also utilized social media outreach, interviews and public engagement activities to gather perspectives and raise awareness on ocean conservation issues.

Among the key outputs are a community manifesto, national and regional policy briefs, video testimonies, a dedicated microsite and a special marine edition of Swara Magazine, the flagship publication of the East African Wildlife Society.

The publication features stories from communities across the Western Indian Ocean region, highlighting local conservation efforts, biodiversity protection, climate change adaptation and sustainable ocean management.

Ogonje said the policy recommendations developed through the consultations have already been presented through regional frameworks, including the Nairobi Convention process, where civil society organizations continue to advocate for community-driven ocean governance.

She expressed optimism that governments attending the conference would consider the recommendations and commitments emerging from grassroots consultations.

"Our goal is to ensure that community voices are not only heard during this conference but continue to shape decisions and actions on ocean conservation long into the future," she said.