Winter 2011 Edition 36

Summary

Underwater explorers embark on voyage to chart marine diversity of threatened Indian Ocean coral archipelago

In late November a team of marine scientists and environmental reporters embarked on a pioneering research expedition along the remote west coast of Madagascar. Based aboard a traditional Malagasy wooden sailing dhow, the international team surveyed the health and biodiversity of the Barren Isles, a 100 kilometre long chain of coral islands off the west coast of the Madagascar.

During the voyage marine biologists collected important scientific data and documented local conservation issues and the impacts of climate change on the archipelago's fragile marine environment.

The Barren Isles ecosystem comprises an enormous diversity of habitats, from deep oceanic waters to coral reefs, extensive mangrove forests, estuarine marshes, wetlands and coastal dunes, and dense semi-humid tropical forest. Underwater films being produced by the team explore the extraordinary diversity and fragility of the region's habitats, and the threats that they are facing from climate change and overfishing.

The information collected during the expedition will allow Blue Ventures ' scientists to determine the health of the reefs, and to understand how they are being affected by human pressures, including climate change. This information will support the ongoing development of a locally managed marine area (LMMA) in the Barren Isles, which have been highlighted as a priority area for marine conservation in Madagascar.

In early November, two pioneering community-managed mangrove reserves officially opened in the Kirinde-Mite region , western Madagascar. Over 200 local fishers attended the openings, covering an area of approximately 200 hectares, in order to reap the benefits of a temporary closure that prohibited all forms of fishing, harvesting, and mangrove cutting over the previous 19 weeks.

These experimental reserves, a response to growing concern expressed by local fishers over falling numbers of mangrove fish and crabs, were a community-managed initiative, led by the local association "Be Andriaky", with technical support provided by Blue Ventures and Madagascar's National Parks. Increasing production of the economically important mud crab, Scylla serrata, was the primary objective of these 'no-take' reserves, and their closure was designed to coincide with the animal's peak breeding season in the region. As part of Blue Ventures' on-going regional monitoring of traditional fisheries, fish and crab catches were weighed and measured by local community members in order to assess the ecological, economic and social impacts of closures.

This landmark fisheries management initiative is part of a broader effort by Blue Ventures to demonstrate the economic benefits of community-based marine conservation. Similar efforts to catalyse local management of octopus closures in southern Madagascar have already been replicated over 130 times over the past seven years, bringing about unprecedented support for community-based marine and coastal conservation efforts. November's mangrove reserve openings mark a significant evolution and geographic expansion of these community-based fisheries management efforts, being the first of their kind to be established in mangrove forests, and the first fisheries reserves in western Madagascar's vast Menabe region.

Formation of regional octopus management committee

In October 2011 the inception meeting for the southwest regional octopus management committee was held in Toliara, southwest Madagascar. This committee was formed as a direct result of Madagascar's second national octopus workshop, organised by Blue Ventures in April 2011, and will work towards ensuring the continued sustainability of octopus stocks in the region. The traditional octopus fishery is of huge economic importance to the subsistence fishers throughout the southwest coast and represents 70% marine cash crop to the communities who depend on it.

The new management committee is composed of representatives from all the key stakeholder groups including fishers, academic, commercial, local and non-government organisations, and will serve as the focal point for all management decision for the regional fishery. The committee is responsible for developing and applying harvest control rules to maintain a sustainable octopus fishery output, and liaising with regional government representatives to guide fisheries legislation.

The southwest regional octopus fishery underwent a pre-assessment for eco-certification by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in 2009. Eco-certification is a growing global phenomenon,that allows commercial fisheries to be put forward for independent assessment of their sustainability, and can often lead to increased value for certified fisheries products. The first meeting of this regional management committee represents a key step towards fulfilling the final requirements necessary for the southwest octopus fishery to undergo full MSC assessment and attain certification helping to ensure long term economic benefits for some of the worlds' poorest coastal communities.