Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis of the Large Marine Ecosystems of the Western Indian Ocean Volume 1 : Baseline

This report synthesizes national and regional analyses to diagnose transboundary issues affecting marine and coastal ecosystems and fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean region, drawing on country Marine Ecosystem Diagnostic Analyses, specialist reports, cruises, and structured national and regional consultations. It compiles baseline biophysical and socio-economic conditions, including biodiversity and habitat status, fisheries exploitation patterns, and coastal livelihoods and dependence on marine resources. The work applies inventories and gap analyses of existing information, complemented by retrospective analyses for major fisheries groupings, and uses prioritisation, impact-chain, and causal-chain approaches to identify priority problems and their direct, underlying, and root causes. It evaluates regional governance options and concludes that an informal regional collaboration mechanism is the preferred approach.