COMPASS OCEAN WATCH

Text by Laura Robson, Images by Garth Cripps Midwives and sea cucumber farmers join a grassroots MAKING WAVES movement to protect the Indian Ocean’s underwater marvels; a holistic approach that is shining a light on the IN MADAGASCAR future of conservation.

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With over 5,500 kilometres of witnessing an astonishing groundswell first to be created in Madagascar. coastline spanning more than 14 in community-led initiatives designed Its name means “to live with the degrees of latitude, Madagascar to rebuild these fisheries and safeguard sea”, and its ethos reflects a radical boasts a diversity of marine habitats marine biodiversity. new way of thinking about marine unrivalled in the Indian Ocean. Not This grassroots movement has conservation. Not only have its 25 only do these waters attract scuba been spawned by the viral spread of member villages spearheaded the divers from around the world, they a temporary octopus fishery reserve octopus fishery reserve model, acting also support the livelihoods of millions model, whereby villages periodically as a demonstration and learning site of small-scale fishers who inhabit the close off portions of their gleaning for hundreds of other communities shores of this island nation. grounds for a few months, which along this southwest coastline and boosts landings and revenues upon GRASSROOTS GROUNDSWELL opening. This has been fuelling interest Like so much of our blue planet, in more ambitious management efforts, 1. Alternative livelihood initiatives Madagascar’s marine ecosystems to the extent that Madagascar now such as seaweed farming for the agar agar market takes pressure off face a precarious future, assailed has 63 locally managed marine areas, local fisheries by a growing plethora of stresses, collectively covering more than 10 not least increasing fishing effort percent of the island’s continental shelf. 2. The success of octopus fishery closed seasons has spawned a and destructive fishing practices. Velondriake is one such locally nationwide movement of locally SDOP Fortunately though, the country is managed marine area; one of the very managed marine areas

14 beyond, they have also challenged their partner organisation, Blue Ventures, to improve access to health services and livelihood alternatives as an integral part of local marine conservation efforts.

THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE Blue Ventures’ work in Velondriake began over a decade ago, initially focusing on surveying the region’s coral reefs. With medics on hand to provide care for scuba diving expedition staff and volunteers, it soon became clear that their expertise could serve community needs too. Responding to requests for reproductive health services, and with widespread community support, Blue Ventures started running a weekly family planning clinic in 2007, offering information and contraceptive options to couples in Velondriake’s central village of Andavadoaka. Since then, this initiative has expanded to serve 3 40 villages in and around the locally managed marine area. Blue Ventures employs a midwife They have challenged ... Blue who travels from village to village “ 3. Lucrative sea cucumber farms Ventures to improve access to supply demanding Asian markets conducting outreach clinics, and 30 while taking pressure off rapidly

local women have been trained as health services and livelihood declining wild populations community-based distributors of alternatives as an integral part of “ contraceptives. Couples are now able to local marine conservation efforts.

choose freely the number and spacing they once littered Madagascar’s of their births, and it is estimated that ocean floor, wild stocks have crashed over 900 unintended pregnancies in recent years, driven by growing have been averted to date among a demand from Asian markets. population of 15,000. Girls can delay Velondriake communities are their first pregnancy until after they profiting from this trend by procuring have finished school or even university juvenile sea cucumbers produced in a (with scholarships sponsored by Blue hatchery using patented technology by Ventures’ expedition alumni), while regional marine institute IHSM, then women have more opportunities to be growing them out in basic mesh pens economically active. across shallow bays and selling the full- size adults back to seafood exporting FARMING THE SEA company IOT. Blue Ventures facilitates With the majority of families in these partnerships and business Velondriake utterly dependent on skills training for the farming teams. fishing and octopus gleaning for food Alongside sea cucumber rearing, and money, the community association seaweed farming is also emerging as governing the locally managed marine an environmentally sustainable and area was convinced that alternatives economically important complement would be needed to reduce pressure to fishing across Velondriake. on their marine ecosystem… Enter the remarkable – yet distinctly A SUSTAINABLE BALANCE uncharismatic – sea cucumber. The evolution of this deeply pragmatic Sea cucumbers are bottom-dwelling approach to marine conservation, echinoderms (close relatives of blending fishery reserves with family starfish) that are prized and consumed planning and aquaculture, has been in Asia for their purported medicinal guided by the sagacious leader of the and aphrodisiac properties. Much Velondriake locally managed marine like a garden earthworm, they play a area. Standing in the middle of the crucial role in recycling nutrients in sandy quad between the Safidy health sediments, forming the bedrock of clinic, community education centre 2 complex marine food chains. Although and Blue Ventures conservation office 4

If our population isn’t growing so rapidly, and fish “ “ 4. Locally managed marine areas stocks are increasing ... people and the environment coupled with reproductive health initiatives mean that traditional can live together... coastal livelihoods can be sustained

in the village of Andavadoaka, Mr. officials, funders, conservation Roger explains the logic: organisations, journalists and scuba BLUE VENTURES runs “Family planning lets couples diving enthusiasts – all eager to learn award-winning scuba diving choose how many children they have, from their experiences. expeditions to Madagascar while marine reserves help to increase and Belize, offering volunteers fish catches. If our population isn’t MAKING WAVES the opportunity to survey reefs growing so rapidly and the fish catches This 360° response to the multi- and contribute to local marine are increasing, then we can have a dimensional challenges of conserving conservation efforts. better balance between fish stocks and Madagascar’s staggering marine our population. This means that people biodiversity is making waves around For more information on and the environment can live together, the island and across the western Blue Ventures’ award-winning and we all benefit from this.” Indian Ocean. Traditional fishers, scuba diving expeditions: Andavadoaka itself is a hive of octopus gleaners, sea cucumber www.blueventures.org/ activity at the epicentre of these efforts, farmers and midwives are rallying madagascar/volunteer- with Blue Ventures’ interdisciplinary around Velondriake’s vision to expeditions-in-madagascar.html team gathering weekly for generate a triple win for ecosystem coordination meetings; a chance to health, coastal livelihoods and And on Blue Ventures’ integrated approach to identify opportunities for working community health. A new national marine conservation: together more efficiently through boat network of conservation and health www.blueventures.org/our- pooling and shared activities. The organisations, supported by Blue approach/integration.html local community welcomes visitors Ventures, is advancing this holistic

SDOP regularly – other fishers, government approach throughout Madagascar. SDOP

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