Digital transformation in action: WorldFish bridging data gaps in Zanzibar fisheries
From handwritten logbooks to real-time dashboards, Zanzibar’s small-scale fisheries are entering a new era. Through WorldFish and the Asia Africa BlueTech Superhighway project, digital tools are redefining how marine resources are monitored, managed, and shared with communities.
A shift from paper to real-time systems
In Zanzibar, fisheries data collection was traditionally paper-based. Enumerators recorded landings manually at landing sites, and the information was later sent to government offices for transcription and analysis. This process often took months. Delays and data losses meant that managers lacked timely insights, and fishers rarely received feedback that could guide sustainable practices.
Today, that model is changing. Through the Asia Africa BlueTech Superhighway project, led by WorldFish and funded by the United Kingdom Government, Zanzibar is transitioning to a real-time digital monitoring system. Tablets and mobile phones are used at landing sites, while GPS tracking devices are installed on boats. Data are uploaded instantly to cloud-based systems, where they are automatically processed, validated, and visualized through decision dashboards.
This transformation allows near real-time access to information on fish catches, species composition, fishing zones, and effort, strengthening both governance and community engagement.
Peskas and integration into national systems
At the core of this innovation is Peskas, an open-source software developed by WorldFish in 2017. In Zanzibar, Peskas modules have been integrated into the existing government fisheries information system known as SamakIS.
A key component of the digital transformation in Zanzibar is the tracing function integrated into the Tracks application.
Installed on smartphones or tablets, the app records vessel routes, trip duration, and spatial movement patterns. Even when offline at sea, the system stores location data and synchronizes automatically once connectivity is restored. This allows fishing activities to be mapped accurately without interrupting daily operations.
Tracing is not designed for surveillance. Instead, it serves as a research and management tool that helps identify fishing grounds, understand effort distribution, and support sustainable marine resource planning. By linking spatial routes with catch data, the system enhances transparency, strengthens evidence-based decision-making,g and empowers fishers with access to their own operational information.
Technology in action
The digital system compiles and analyzes field data, transforming it into accessible dashboards. The information includes:
- species caught and quantities
- fishing habitats and gear types
- trip duration and fishing effort
- spatial data showing where fishing activities took place
These insights contribute to improved transparency, better enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and enhanced safety at sea.
The system also includes a validation portal that checks data completeness, consistency, and error rates. By identifying recurring errors or misunderstandings, the system enables targeted training and immediate feedback to enumerators. Over time, this has led to measurable improvements in data accuracy and has strengthened accountability and continuous learning in the field.
Stakeholder engagement and trust building
Digitalization in small-scale fisheries is not only a technical challenge. It is a social and cultural one.
Consultations were organized with fishers, community leaders, non-governmental organizations, and government officials to explain how digital tools function, what information they collect, and how data is used. A clear message was delivered: tracking devices are not tools for surveillance, but research instruments used to map fishing zones and understand ocean health for a limited period.
To reinforce dialogue, the project launched the Fishers Forum, a participatory platform where fishers, government representatives, and experts exchange knowledge, raise concerns, and co-design solutions. This approach ensures that stakeholders are not passive recipients of technology, but active partners in its implementation.
High-quality data begins with trained people. Government enumerators received training in the use of the KoboCollect application, fish measurement techniques, and species identification. A Fish Identification Guide tailored to Zanzibar’s marine species was developed to improve accuracy at landing sites.
The validation system embedded within Peskas allows real-time checking of data submissions against predefined indicators. Immediate feedback enables enumerators to correct errors on site and refine their skills. This systematic approach has fostered a culture of data integrity and professional accountability.
The central importance of data
Reliable, continuous, and accessible data are the backbone of effective fisheries management. Without accurate information on catch volumes, species distribution, fishing effort,t and spatial patterns, sustainable management remains fragmented.
The Zanzibar case shows that bridging data gaps can lead to:
- more responsive and evidence-based decision making
- stronger enforcement and reduction of illegal fishing
- Improved resource stewardship at the community level
- alignment with broader regional monitoring systems in East Africa
By embedding digital tools into institutional frameworks and empowering communities with access to their own data, Zanzibar is building a foundation for long-term sustainability.
Digital transformation in action: WorldFish bridging data gaps in Zanzibar fisheries
