Kenyan Fisherwomen Closed a Reef for Months, Then Landed 307 kg of Octopus in One Opening

COMRED, a Mombasa-based Kenyan nonprofit, trains Beach Management Units to run temporary octopus closures. At Munje, the village BMU set up a 0.4 square kilometre closure, about 1 percent of its fishing ground, in 2023; 17 women were trained in octopus gleaning by 30 peer-trainers from Mkwiro. The reef was opened three times, in November 2023, April 2024 and August 2024, and the third opening yielded 307.6 kg of octopus. COMRED says it has secured 126,807 hectares of marine seascape for community stewardship, and a county patrol boat now helps guard the closure after three poaching cases in 2024.