Fisheries conflict is an underappreciated threat to the stability and health of communities. Declining fish populations, rising demand for seafood, and efforts to reduce illegal fishing are increasing the risk that conflict over fisheries resources will undermine stability and peace. Here, we investigate the frequency, causes, and consequences of fisheries conflict in six countries around the Horn of Africa and East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Yemen) between 1990 and 2017. Fisheries conflict events were cataloged from news reports, and events were characterized by the date, location, actors, consequences, and drivers of the conflict. We found the rate of fisheries conflict is gradually increasing in the region, with spikes in conflict driven by the arrival of foreign fishing boats or international naval vessels. Conflict was caused primarily by illegal fishing, foreign fishing, weak governance, limits on access to fishing grounds, and criminal activities including piracy. Two-thirds of all conflict events occurred in Kenyan and Somali waters, with areas of high conflict intensity in the Lake Victoria region, near the Somali coastline, and in the southern Red Sea. During this period, 684 fisheries conflict events in the region resulted in over 400 fatalities, nearly 500 injuries, and over 4,000 arrests.

渔业冲突是对社区稳定和健康的一种被低估的威胁。鱼类种群的减少、对海产品的需求增加以及减少非法捕捞的努力正在增加渔业资源冲突破坏稳定与和平的风险。在这里，我们调查了 1990 年至 2017 年非洲之角和东非周围六个国家（坦桑尼亚、肯尼亚、索马里、吉布提、厄立特里亚和也门）渔业冲突的频率、原因和后果。渔业冲突事件编目自新闻报道和事件的特点是冲突的日期、地点、参与者、后果和驱动因素。我们发现该地区的渔业冲突率正在逐渐增加，外国渔船或国际海军舰艇的到来推动了冲突的激增。冲突主要是由非法捕鱼、外国捕鱼、治理不力、进入渔场的限制以及包括海盗在内的犯罪活动引起的。三分之二的冲突事件发生在肯尼亚和索马里水域，其中维多利亚湖地区、索马里海岸线附近和红海南部是冲突严重的地区。在此期间，该地区发生了 684 起渔业冲突事件，造成 400 多人死亡、近 500 人受伤和 4,000 多人被捕。