Who owns the data? Fisheries science, epistemic power, and Russia–Africa relations

Abstract

Fisheries science has become an increasingly salient instrument of engagement in Russia–Africa relations, yet the politics of data ownership embedded in such cooperation remain largely overlooked. Prevailing accounts of science diplomacy and technical assistance tend to frame fisheries surveys, training programs, and research partnerships as neutral capacity-building initiatives. The paper challenges these assumptions by asking a central question: who owns the data produced through fisheries science, and with what political consequences? Drawing on historical and contemporary cases of Russian fisheries engagement in Africa, the paper conceptualizes fisheries science as a form of epistemic power exercised through the construction and control of epistemic infrastructure. It situates contemporary survey practices, data retention, and scientific training within longer trajectories of knowledge extraction and asymmetrical resource governance. The paper argues that control over fisheries data—its production, validation, and circulation—constitutes a durable form of epistemic influence that shapes regulatory authority, access negotiations, and states’ capacity to govern marine resources. By foregrounding data ownership as a political relationship rather than a technical detail, the paper advances a framework that bridges science diplomacy and political economy, offering new insights into Russia–Africa relations and the geopolitics of knowledge in global fisheries governance.