Serge Raemakers

Serge is disrupting the traditional seafood supply chain and changing consumer behaviour by empowering small-scale fishers with data-driven technology, direct market access and the necessary tools to run sustainable, ethical, and profitable fishing businesses.

Serge, the founder of Abalobi, is co-creating a new architecture to ensure the sustainability of marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities. Through his organization, he is enabling climate resilience, financial inclusion and strengthening the position of small-scale fishers in the marine supply change. For Serge, his new insight is that the marine ecosystem extends to every stakeholder in the system including the small-scale fishers, the marine species, and every actor in the value chain (from the restaurants, home buyers, retailers, and other market players). By building platforms that capture information and collect data across this entire ecosystem, Serge is influencing the policies, practices, and behaviors of every stakeholder in the fishing industry.

Abalobi’s innovation lies in the intersection of technology, social impact, and empowering small-scale fishers in local communities to take ownership of their livelihood whilst simultaneously encouraging sustainable fishing practices. Abalobi leverages data and technology through a suite of interconnected mobile apps—Abalobi Fisher, Abalobi Marketplace, and Fish with a Story— to make visible the contributions of fishing communities and help fishers improve their livelihoods. Abalobi Fisher provides small-scale fishers with digital traceability of their fishing activities and direct market access. Abalobi Marketplace provides retailers and restaurants with transparent and reliable access to fresh and high-quality sustainable fish produced by small-scale fishers. Abalobi Fish with a Story enables consumers to see how, when, and where their fish was caught, shifting consumer demand towards more conscious consumption of fish, and fostering responsible consumer behavior. For example, Serge has been able to create a demand for Cape Brim (a diverse and sustainable type of fish, which is in abundance and available on the shoreline) by partnering with retailers and restaurants to introduce it to their menus and stock. Sharing this data with government regulators has also allowed them to make decisions that have created a more inclusive market for small-scale fishing communities.

Abalobi uses a community-driven approach that prioritizes collaboration with fishers to build climate resilience, financial inclusion, and strengthen their position in the marine supply chain. By empowering fishers with the tools to run sustainable and profitable businesses, Abalobi adds value to fishing communities through low-cost seafood, job opportunities, and enhanced food security, socio-economic development, and ecological sustainability. This creates a ‘win-win’ situation where fishers gain better profit margins and consumers enjoy ethically sourced seafood.

Serge’s innovative approach is spreading as it demonstrates the viability and benefits of sustainable small-scale fishing. Serge is disrupting a pattern of exclusion and discrimination of small-scale fishing communities and challenging the narrative that small-scale fishing cannot be a viable business opportunity and small-scale fishers must rely on unsustainable and illegal fishing activities to make a good living. Serge is also shifting mindsets around fishing by enabling small-scale fishers to see that it is not just about the quantity of the fish they catch, but also the quality and sustainability of the fishing methods they use, creating a unique market that enables them to sell their fish for a higher price, leading to better profit margins. The venture is being institutionalized through new behaviors and relationships among fishers, consumers, and other stakeholders in the seafood industry. Fishers are adopting sustainable practices and leveraging technology to improve their livelihoods, while consumers are increasingly demanding transparency and sustainability in their seafood choices. Abalobi’s model is also being integrated into professional training curriculums for fishers, ensuring that the knowledge and skills needed for sustainable fishing are passed on to future generations. The venture’s focus on community-led data and technology ensures that its impact is both scalable and sustainable, creating a lasting change in the fishing industry and contributing to the overall resilience and sustainability of small-scale fishing communities.

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) are vital for the livelihoods of over 492 million people globally, with 97% residing in developing countries. These fisheries contribute significantly to food security, particularly in regions like Africa, where approximately 200 million people rely on SSF products for protein.

Despite their significance, most small-scale fishers demonstrate extremely elevated levels of poverty and vulnerability, with over 5.8 million fishers globally living on under US$1 per day; a particularly urgent situation as Blue Foods also play a crucial and affordable role as sources of essential nutrients for local communities. Yet, these communities remain stuck in cycles of debt that prevent the sustainable expansion of domestic market growth.

South Africa’s legacy of apartheid is still evident in the exclusionary and discriminatory policies that exist in many industries. Despite amendments to the Marine Resources Act, which previously only allowed fishers to obtain a commercial or recreational license (thereby making small-scale fishing illegal), the current policies do not favor the majority and still emphasize privatization. Some of these fisheries are still informal, operate under regulations for recreational fisheries, or have only certain components recognized by the fisheries authority. Regulations around zoning, quotas, and fishing hours can be complex, restrictive, and burdensome for small-scale fishers, limiting their ability to fish efficiently. The relative invisibility of small-scale fisheries in the national accounting system and poor participation in policy development, coupled with elevated levels of poverty, exacerbate the marginalization of small-scale fishers in the political economy. They are considered ineffectively regulated and data-limited, which hampers recognition of their contribution to food security and gross domestic production.

In the face of rapidly rising global consumer demand for traceable, sustainable products, most small-scale fishers do not have access to the technologies that facilitate traceability and proof of value-added products. Considered data-poor, plagued by Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, they are marginalized in the marketplace, governance, and management spheres. Small-scale fishers do not have access to technology and the necessary tools to record and keep track of their fishing activities. This makes it difficult for them to know how much they have caught over time, preventing them from scaling and making fishing a viable business opportunity. Many fishers have found themselves at the bottom of the chain, remaining as price takers whose critical local ecological knowledge is undervalued. This fiscal and power dynamic between fishers and actors down the supply chain is reinforced by fishers’ financial dependency on middlemen, a lack of access to fair market prices, and the inability to engage directly with end buyers. Small-scale fishers are often trapped in cycles of debt due to their financial dependency on middlemen. These intermediaries exploit fishers by paying them low prices for their catch while selling it at higher prices, keeping fishers indebted through the provision of necessary supplies like bait, fuel, and ice.

Their counterparts, large-scale fishing vessels, have greater capacity, technology, and range, allowing them to catch vast amounts of fish. This depletes stocks faster and makes it harder for small-scale fishers to catch enough fish for their livelihood. When fish are caught faster than they can survive, this in turn leads to population decrease and damaged ecosystems.

Climate change has also negatively impacted marine ecosystems and the ability of small-scale fishers to sustain their livelihood through the traditional fishing methods they use. Fishing is seasonal for small-scale fishers, and thus, they have often relied on the predictability of weather patterns and fish “behavior” (such as migration and habitats) to sustain their livelihood. Global warming and climate change have led to rising sea temperatures, which alter migration and reproduction behaviour, extreme and unpredictable weather patterns as well as the reduced abundance of certain species due to disrupted ecosystems. With fewer fish to catch and more dangerous conditions at sea, small-scale fishers face food insecurity and income instability.

Women’s roles in small-scale fisheries are often unrecognized or under-remunerated, leading to gender inequities within these communities. The lack of formal recognition and fair remuneration for women’s work further marginalizes them economically and socially. Addressing these gender inequities is crucial for achieving inclusive and sustainable development in small-scale fisheries.
Lastly, there is a lack of transparency on fishing practices that prevents consumers from making responsible consumption choices as consumers do not have access to information on how their seafood has been procured and by whom it has been caught.

Abalobi is harnessing community-led data through a network of hubs driven by data, technology, and a marketplace to support equitable markets and small-scale fisheries rebuilding. Serge collaborates with small-scale fishing communities – who hold vast local knowledge and customs, but face significant social, ecological, and economic challenges – to co-design and implement Technology for Good and learning and market infrastructure programs that offer data collection, organizational structures, and direct marketing opportunities. This enables small-scale fishers to build organizational capacity, recognize the critical role of women, address food security needs, and engage in transparent and traceable Community Supported Fisheries (CSF)-based supply chains (CSF’s are an alternative business model for selling fresh and locally sourced seafood where consumers sign up as members and pay in advance for a share of seafood). Fishers are poised to reposition in the value chain, rebuild their fisheries and help develop more ethical food systems as they journey towards social & ecological sustainability.

Abalobi uses a social, environmental and economic approach to sustainability, which involves co-innovating and deploying data technology in partnership with small-scale fishers, developing community-supported fisheries, and working towards fisheries improvement and the inclusion of small-scale fisheries in the economy. Through this approach, Abalobi enables small-scale fishing communities to have fair market access, transparent supply chains and broader food security. Serge has also co-created three fisher-driven technologies that relate to data collection and application, seafood traceability, fully documented fisheries, fair and transparent supply chains, skills development, community cohesion and entrepreneurship, which are critical precursors to longer-term fisheries improvement and sustainability.

Abalobi Fisher is a free and easy to use personal digital logbook for fishers which enables them to log their boat catches and shore harvests, track their income and expenses, access customized weather forecasts, record the sale of their catch and harvest, store their fishing documents digitally and access summaries of their fishing activities.

Abalobi marketplace is a digital market that connects buyers looking for quality fresh, local, and fully traceable fish within a CSF framework with small-scale local fishers. The app helps them avoid middlemen and sell their catch at a fair price, allowing small-scale fishers to take ownership of their own catch, and have access to fair markets. Fish With A Story features a diverse and seasonal basket of species, celebrating what the ocean can sustainably offer. This includes many lesser-known species that are undervalued but rich in flavor. They work with markets and fishers to promote the fishing of abandoned species to allow overfished species to recover. Each fish is assigned a unique QR code that the consumer can scan to read the full story behind their seafood- such as what it is, where and how it was caught, and connect it directly to who caught their seafood., reimagining the way we eat fish. Abalobi does not just sell fish – they sell the transformative power of consumer choice. By directly connecting consumers with the fishers, they foster a deep appreciation for the people behind the food and put power in the hands of the fishers. Through Fish With A Story, the conscious consumer can partner with small-scale fishing communities on their journey to sustainability – to reimagine a more responsible (sea)food system. This transparency revolutionizes the concept of seafood, transforming it from a commodity to a product with a verifiable history and ethical footprint. This encourages responsible consumer behavior and transparency in fishing practices and enables small-scale fishers to have visibility and access to consumers willing to pay well for their catch. Fish with a Story widens the lens of sustainability to emphasize the ecological and human dimensions of fisheries. Through this model, over 16,000 food orders and 2002 pantry orders have been made through 59000 QR code scans.

Serge has also developed Lobi, an AI virtual assistant chatbot that can be accessed from any country and is available in multiple languages. The chatbot enables small scale fishers to connect with and create a community with other fishers beyond the communities they work in. Serge is transforming the fishing sector by fostering engagement between fisher communities and fisher monitors, leading to adaptive fisheries management and conservation initiatives to increase small-scale fishing communities’ resilience to social, economic, and environmental change. Through conscious efforts, such as providing ice to fishers so that their catch is kept under 5 degrees and providing thermometers and ice to keep fish fresh and observe the temperature of their catch, Serge is enabling small-scale fishers to increase the shelf life of their catch and ensure a higher quality which leads to better pricing.

An integral part of Abalobi’s model is ensuring that small-scale fishers and fishing communities are educated about sustainable fishing practices and empowered with tools that will enable them to run sustainable fishing/seafood businesses. Serge builds personal and organizational capacity through codesigned training and learning platforms, which feature a coach-based curriculum, e-courses and an interactive chatbot. Serge has codesigned training materials with fishers to ensure relevance and uptake. The Digital eLearning program has eight courses on financial awareness, weather forecasting, hygiene and food safety, responsible fish handling, value chain, analytics, technology, and an introduction to the Abalobi app. So far, Abalobi has 381 registered users, with an average pass mark of 83.37%.

Serge is also pioneering the inclusion and visibility of women in the fishing industry by creating job opportunities for women fishers, who now lead the quality control aspect of Abalobi, such as weighing and processing the catch and selling by-products such as pickled fish through Abalobi. To date, Serge has supported 6853 fishers who are direct beneficiaries to move from a position of being food insecure and often having to fish illegally. 87% of these individuals are now food secure, and 100% have stopped fishing illegally and now fish with traceability, a responsible fisheries framework, collect excellent quality data, and run their own ventures as individuals or groups within communities. Abalobi supplies 600 restaurants and retailers with fish, including large brands like Checkers, Woolworths, and Ocean basket, who are associated with high quality food.

Serge was raised in Belgium, in a city far from the coast. His mom had always been a passionate reader, and while unpacking boxes after they moved to a new house, he found a book about Jacques Cousteau, a famous ocean explorer. This would be the beginning of his love for the ocean and marine life, and he became so immersed in this book that by the age of 8, he could recite all the Latin names of every underwater species. His parents stimulated his passion by taking him to aquariums and museums that were accessible in Europe. As he was raised in a privileged environment, his parents ensured that he remained grounded and aware of the different social circumstances. At the age of 16, he spent two months in Senegal living with a family his mother had befriended. Serge spent these months learning about what it means to be a hard worker and what life is like for those living in abject poverty and without means. From an early age, Serge knew he wanted to work with marine life, and he began studying to be a marine biologist. He would later move to the Philippines to study for his Master, where he spent a lot of time working with small-scale fishers who farmed prawns and mud crabs. In these nine months, he started seeing the importance of not collecting scientific data but also looking at the socio-economic impacts in the fishing industry.

After finishing his master’s, he wanted to get into capture fisheries and start collecting data about species to see how they could be harvested sustainably along the coastline, and that inspired him to come to South Africa in 2004 when he was 24. After some time, he quickly learned that this was a small part of the broader puzzle of fishery systems, social-ecological systems, fisheries management, and fisheries governance. In 2017, he was involved in a constitutional court case where a group of fishers he had gotten to know and work with took the government to court on the grounds that post-apartheid, the government had failed to recognize the traditional rights and customary practices of the fishing communities along the coastline and inland water bodies. The fishers won the case (which became a landmark case), and Serge formed part of a team that drafted the policy which was gazetted in 2012.

Thereafter, he started working at UCT (University of Cape Town) as a researcher and found himself in the middle of trying to support and work with fisher communities to articulate their vision, narratives, and ideas to transform them into policy language that is backed by scientific, social, and natural findings. He realized that policy took a long time to transform the lives of fishing communities on the ground and began looking at practical ways of driving change to stimulate long-term behavior change to achieve food security in fishing communities and unlock the agency and social entrepreneurship of fisher communities. He also realized that UCT would not be able to deliver the systemic change that he sought to achieve in these fishing communities, and he left his job to fully focus on leading the development of Abalobi with two other co-founders. Abalobi means fisher in isiXhosa and since 2018, Serge has been focused on building thriving fishing communities and enabling fishers to become social entrepreneurs with agency and full control of ownership of their business initiatives. In 2023, Serge was an Earthshot Prize runner up and he is currently a World Economic Fund Link Up Top Innovator.