Digital transformation, decision-making and governance in small-scale fisheries: a narrative review with implications for Somalia

Small-scale fisheries are essential to coastal livelihoods, food security, and local economies, yet fragmented information systems, limited monitoring, and institutional constraints can weaken fisheries decision-making and governance. This structured narrative review examines how digital technologies influence fisheries information, decision-making, and governance in small-scale fisheries, with particular emphasis on Somalia. Peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2026 were identified through Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar using database-adapted search terms addressing small-scale fisheries, digital technologies, fisheries information, decision-making, and governance, supplemented by Somalia-specific searches. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 104 sources were retained for the core synthesis. Evidence was critically compared across geographical, institutional, and socioeconomic contexts to identify implementation conditions, governance trade-offs, evidence limitations, and implications for Somalia. The synthesis indicates that digitalization can improve information availability, communication, monitoring, coordination, and decision support, whereas evidence for sustained behavioural, livelihood, ecological, and governance improvements remains heterogeneous. Outcomes depend on connectivity, affordability, digital literacy, institutional capacity, trust, participation, data governance, and the capacity to translate information into legitimate action. For Somalia, the review identifies an information–governance gap shaped by dispersed small-scale fisheries, fragmented governance, limited monitoring, and fisheries pressures. It proposes an ideal digital governance scenario centred on coordination, participation, accountability, institutional authority, and responsible information control as a practical reference for future national measures. Overall, digitalization is understood as a governance transformation whose effectiveness depends on how information is generated, shared, governed, and translated into inclusive and accountable fisheries management.