Madagascar : Marine Program

Human dimension to marine conservation issues
Conserving the marine environment is one of humanity’s great challenges for the 21st Century. As human communities become ever more dependent on coastal and marine resources for food and economic development, 70% of the world’s fisheries are fully or over-exploited and 90% of the ocean’s largest fish have been removed by industrial fishing. Certain fish stocks may fail ever to recover and many marine species are at risk of extinction. The productive function of marine ecosystems has been damaged, sometimes irreparably, by destructive fishing methods such as intensive trawling. Further deterioration is occurring as a result of climate change, causing coral bleaching and loss of other marine life. The net effect of these changes is the widespread loss of human livelihoods, food security and well-being.

Marine conservation issues in Madagascar
Madagascar lies in the tropical Western Indian Ocean, surrounded by waters of the Southern Equatorial Current (SEC) and forming part of the Agulhas Large Marine Ecosystem (LME). Madagascar’s long coastline (5000 km), east & west facing coasts, large latitudinal range and ‘upstream’ location in relation to eastern and southern Africa, provide suitable environments for most of the marine species and habitat-types of the region and make Madagascar a regional conservation priority. Key marine threats faced by Madagascar, many of which are common to countries around the region, are:

• Uncontrolled industrial fishing, especially by illegal unlicensed unregulated vessels (IUUs)
• Industrial trawling, especially on shallow continental shelf seas and sea mounts
• Degradation of coral reefs through overfishing, climate change
  effects and sedimentation
• Hunting or incidental capture of large marine fauna (dugong, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks and sawfish)
• Local extirpation of high-value species such as sea cucumbers
• Conflicts between resource users over access to resources
• Insufficient protection for marine environment (MPAs, no-take zones)
• Insufficient capacity and information management

WCS Marine Program activities in Madagascar
WCS Marine Program activities in Madagascar are built around the following themes:

• Sustainable management and protection of fisheries
• Management and development of marine & coastal protected areas (MCPAs)
• Research for the conservation of cetaceans and promotion of whale-watching
• Promotion of improved marine governance and policy (including ICZM)
• Training and capacity building in marine conservation and management
• Design & development of resilient networks of MCPAs and ‘no-take zones’
• Conservation of other large marine fauna (e.g. dugong, turtles, sharks, sawfish)
• Applied marine biodiversity research

WCS acts through direct field interventions, working through field-based partners and providing technical and advisory support to partner institutions working in marine conservation and management. Key areas where WCS is currently working are Sahamalaza/Radama Marine Biosphere Reserve and the Antongil Bay.

WCS Marine Program expertise
WCS’s Marine Program in Madagascar is driven by a team of marine scientists and policy specialists who have expertise in fisheries management, coral reef ecology and conservation, protected areas design and management, the marine products trade, law and policy and the conservation of endangered marine wildlife including cetaceans, sharks and turtles. WCS’s permanent local team comprises three post-doctoral biologists, three masters’ graduates and several trainees (generally masters students), supported as needed by WCS international experts and technical and administrative staff. WCS Madagascar staff work closely with WCS experts based in the Western Indian Ocean region who provide additional support in MPA design and management, coral reef research and conservation planning and large marine fauna conservation (dugong, cetaceans & sharks).

WCS approach and next steps
WCS adopts a collaborative, science-based approach and seeks to contribute to a broadly accepted agenda for the marine environment. Most activities are expressly linked to objectives of the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP, Phase 3) or to fisheries plans and policies. An underlying aim is to develop the national capacity necessary to manage and conserve the marine environment. Next steps for WCS’s Madagascar marine program include:
Promote a common vision for the science-based conservation of Madagascar’s
marine ecosystems

• Help identify priorities for marine conservation
• Promote synergies between fisheries management and marine conservation
• Promote adoption and implementation of the national ICZM policy and plan
• Continue to support the sustainable management of the Bay of Antongil
• Continue to develop the Sahamalaza/Radama Marine Biosphere Reserve