Beyond illegal fishing: strengthening Somalia’s domestic fishing capacity to realize its fisheries potential

Somalia’s fisheries are characterized by substantial but largely unrealized development potential, yet domestic benefits remain limited. We introduce a Protection-Production–Value (PPV) framework that treats fisheries development as an integrated system of three interdependent pillars. In this framework, Protection ensures sustainable resource opportunity, Production converts that opportunity into harvest capacity, and Value determines how much of the resulting fisheries value is retained domestically. We identify three imbalance conditions – Protection without Production, Production without Protection, and Production without Value – each illustrating how weakness in one pillar constrains the others. For example, insufficient value capture limits reinvestment in infrastructure and monitoring, while data from harvest and markets can reinforce governance and sustainability. Our analysis emphasizes the need for holistic policies linking conservation, harvest, and value-chain development to maximize Somalia’s fisheries contributions to livelihoods, food security, and the economy.