Coastal and Marine Resources Development

Name

Coastal and Marine Resources Development

Legal name

Coastal and Marine Resource Development (COMRED)

Website

https://comred.or.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation and Fisheries Management Services

NAICS

Fishing (1141), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Fisheries management services
• Marine conservation programs
• Coastal community development
• Natural resources management
• Blue economy initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Nyali

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: COMRED operates as a non-profit organization primarily funded through grants from international development organizations, government agencies, and foundations. The organization receives support from development partners for conservation, climate action, and livelihood improvement programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

COMRED is a non-profit organization that delivers fisheries management, marine conservation, and sustainable livelihood programs to coastal communities in Kenya. It works through Beach Management Units (BMUs), Community Forest Associations (CFAs), and local fishing communities to provide governance training, data-driven fisheries management, mangrove restoration, eco-credit access, post-harvest loss reduction, and smart coastal city planning. Its operations span the Shimoni-Vanga Ecosystem and Malindi Ungwana Bay, covering approximately 126,807 hectares of marine seascapes.

Product overview

COMRED is a non-profit organization (not a technology company) offering a portfolio of conservation, livelihood, and urban development programs rather than a unified technology product. Its programs include: Eco-credit for financial inclusion, Fish Value Addition and Post-Harvest Loss Control for fisheries support, Mangrove Honey Production for alternative livelihoods, Mangrove Restoration and Octopus Fisheries Closures for conservation, Fisheries Data Collection for data-driven management, Voices for Climate Action for climate adaptation, and Leadership & Governance for institutional strengthening. Urban programs include Miji Bora (smart cities) and Bandari Bora (port-city integration). These programs operate independently but collectively address COMRED's mission of securing coastal livelihoods and sustaining marine ecosystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Miji Bora: Better Cities for the Coast - flagship initiative to help coastal cities become resilient, inclusive and aligned with marine ecosystem health, starting with Mombasa County
• Bandari Bora
• Eco-credit
• Samaki-Sokoni

Products and services

• Eco-credit (Access To Finance) Financial inclusion program providing access to credit and savings for coastal communities, supporting sustainable livelihood diversification. Eco-credit groups have achieved 60% growth from seed grants and saved over USD 33,000 collectively, serving 950+ members with 62% women participation.
• Fish Value Addition Program supporting coastal communities to add value to their fish catch, improving incomes and reducing post-harvest losses through processing, storage, and market access improvements. Targets fishers and fish traders in Kenya's coastal counties.
• Mangrove Honey Production Apiculture initiative enabling coastal communities to produce honey from mangrove ecosystems, creating alternative livelihoods while supporting conservation of mangrove habitats. Targets CFAs and coastal community members.
• Post-Harvest Loss Control (Samaki-Sokoni) Program addressing fish post-harvest losses through community-driven solutions including cooler boxes and solar freezers, implemented in partnership with WorldFish, KMFRI, and Pwani University. Has reached 50 fish traders in 2025 and issued 22 cooler boxes to 32 women and men fish traders in January 2026.
• Miji Bora – Better Cities for the Coast Flagship sustainable cities initiative helping coastal cities (starting with Mombasa) become resilient, inclusive, and aligned with marine ecosystem health through assessment, planning, implementation, and reflection cycles. Supports climate adaptation, marine ecosystem integration, and inclusive urban planning.
• Bandari Bora – Sustainable Port & City Integration Initiative aligning port development, urban growth, and coastal ecosystem health through spatial assessment, mapping, and stakeholder engagement across Mombasa, Durban, and Moroni. Targets coastal port cities and their governing authorities.
• Voices for Climate Action (VCA) Climate action program supported by WWF Kenya through the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) Program, facilitating collective action of women within Shimoni Vanga for marine resource management and climate adaptation. Includes ocean literacy training, climate change capacity building, and indigenous knowledge mapping.
• Mangrove Restoration Conservation program restoring degraded mangrove habitats and protecting key ecosystems in the Shimoni-Vanga and Malindi Ungwana Bay areas, contributing to climate mitigation and supporting coastal community resilience.
• Octopus Fisheries & Community-Led Closures Bottom-up conservation model implementing temporary octopus closures (3-4 months) where communities designate fishing grounds for replenishment, balancing marine conservation with livelihood sustainability.
• Fisheries Data Collection Data-driven fisheries management program using community-based data collectors to record catch data, enabling evidence-based decision-making. Example results include Wesa BMU averaging 7,591.89 kg of fish monthly worth KES 2,021,304.84 and Mkunguni BMU averaging 2,467.01 kg worth KES 730,487.18 per month.
• Leadership & Governance Capacity building program strengthening governance of Beach Management Units (BMUs) through training, mentorship, and institutional support for effective community-led marine resource management. Supports 21 BMUs and CFAs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 126,807 hectares of marine seascapes secured for community stewardship
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Blue VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term conservation partner supporting community-led fisheries management. Partnership since 2021 to improve BMU capacity and establish octopus closure programs. Supported the Frontline Community Fund for fish catch data initiatives.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) KenyamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) Program, facilitating collective action of women within Shimoni Vanga for marine resource management.
• MaliasilicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitates strategic planning workshops and leadership programs. Supported the LeadUp East Africa leadership program workshop in collaboration with Blue Ventures, The Nature Conservancy, and Wildlife Conservation Network.
• Kenya Fisheries Service (KeFS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGovernment agency mandated with fisheries management. COMRED works with KeFS for co-management of fisheries resources and conducting compliance assessments.
• Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch institution providing technical expertise for post-harvest loss management research and fisheries assessments.
• WorldFishmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered under the Sia-Africa BlueTech Superhighway (AABS) to tackle fish post-harvest loss in coastal Kenya.
• Pwani UniversityminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartners with COMRED to build evidence and influence policy on post-harvest management.
• Macquarie UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting research and knowledge exchange in marine science.
• Mombasa County GovernmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCounty government partner for the Miji Bora sustainable cities program, including development of the Mombasa County Climate Change & Adaptation Policy.
• Kwale County GovernmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCounty government partner for fisheries management and conservation programs in the Shimoni-Vanga seascape area.
• Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional marine science association supporting research and capacity building in the Western Indian Ocean region.
• TechnoServecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for the Mastercard Foundation BlueBiz Program, providing entrepreneurship training and support to coastal youth.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blue Ventures: Blue Ventures is a marine conservation NGO that pioneered community-led fisheries management, octopus closures, and BMU partnerships in the Western Indian Ocean. It is COMRED's closest strategic partner since 2021 and operates a directly comparable model.

Broad incumbents

• WWF Kenya: WWF Kenya runs large-scale marine and coastal programs in Kenya and funds COMRED's Voices for Climate Action. It is a much larger incumbent with overlapping seascape and climate priorities.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: WCS operates coastal and marine conservation programs across East Africa, including community fisheries co-management work. It is a larger global NGO with overlapping themes around BMU support and seascape stewardship.
• Fauna & Flora International: FFI runs marine and coastal community programs in the Western Indian Ocean including Kenya, with comparable community-led conservation and livelihood components. It competes for similar institutional grant funding.
• The Nature Conservancy: TNC has active coastal fisheries and blue economy programs in East Africa and co-facilitates leadership workshops with Maliasili alongside COMRED. It is a much larger global conservation incumbent with overlapping program areas.
• Conservation International: CI runs coastal resilience and fisheries programs in the Western Indian Ocean, including Blue Economy initiatives in Kenya. It competes for similar donor pools and serves overlapping community segments.

Emerging players

• WorldFish: WorldFish is COMRED's active partner under the Sia-Africa BlueTech Superhighway on post-harvest loss. It brings aquaculture and fisheries research capability to overlapping coastal Kenyan communities.

Others

• WIOMSA: The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association is a regional ecosystem partner supporting marine research and capacity building across the same geography where COMRED operates.
• Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI): KMFRI is COMRED's research partner for post-harvest loss and fisheries assessments. As a government research institute, it shapes the data and policy environment in which COMRED operates.
• Kenya Fisheries Service (KeFS): KeFS is the government agency mandated with fisheries management and an implementation partner of COMRED for co-management and compliance. It is part of the same institutional ecosystem rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMkLBxmuUyDe2u9xcRqRuEQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coastal-and-marine-resources-development-comred
• Xx.com/comred_
• Facebookfacebook.com/comred.or.ke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Coastal and Marine Resources Development