Site: Southwest coast of Madagascar, in vicinity of Andavadoaka
Type of Partnership: community based development partnership
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Description: The Partnership for Community-Run Marine Protected Area in Madagascar seeks to combat coral reef and marine life degradation, whilst sustaining the livelihood of the local fishing communities. NGOs, research institutes, a fish export company and local fishermen have come together to implement a regenerative no-tackle zone, to devise strategies for marine conservation and to build the foundations for eco-tourism.

Some successes of the partnership include

• Improved quality of life of local community whilst maintaining the biological diversity;
• 1,200 people in Andavadoaka benefiting from no-catch zone and replenished marine life and potential eco-tourism;
• Regular workshops and meetings that empower locals and communities - attendance as high as 300 people per session;
• Average weight of octopi caught more than doubled from 0.5 to 1.1 kg;
• Average catch per unit effort increased from 2.2 to 4 kg per fisher per trip;
• Seed provided funding for a socio-economic adviser that assists partners in planning their socio-economic programmed and develop coastal resource management capacity at local community associations in the region;
• Established a trilingual tourism information board in Andavadoaka (English, French and Vezo);
• Assisted in training 5 young villagers to become professional tourist guides in August 2005;
• Assist with the conceptualisation and implementation of a village-owned and operated hotel;
• Assisted villagers to manage MPA independently and assist local community to develop a sustainable environmental strategy;
• Assisted directly with the change in perception and behaviour of people and promoted wide-spread support for conservation in a short period of time;
• Success prompted three further no-take zones to be undertaken and a permanent MPA to be established;
• Replication of the model is highly likely elsewhere.

Source: The SEED Initiative

Further information:

http://www.blueventures.org/Project%20Summary.pdf
http://www.globalpublicpolicy.net/fileadmin/gppi/SEED_CASE_Madagascar_MPA_eh.pdf