Abbie Topping – November 2024
Madagascar has some 200,000 small scale vessels operating in coastal fishing communities. However, many of these small-scale fishers face the increasing challenge of declining catches and competition for local resources. These communities rely on fishing as a livelihood and for sustenance, yet most fishers are limited by their use of traditional, non-motorised wooden canoes. Restricted to nearshore waters, they often see reduced yields from overfished areas. Recognising this issue, Sustainable Fisheries and Communities Trust (SFACT) has partnered with the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy to launch a pilot project aimed at empowering these fishers through motorisation, enhanced safety, and extended fishing opportunities
The project is focused in five coastal Madagascar regions. This project, which is supported by SFACT’s funding of six motorised canoes, seeks to increase fishers’ incomes and enhance their access to marine resources. SFACT’s founder, John Burton, recently visited two of these communities along with Njaka Ratsimanarisoa Director of Fisheries in Madagascar’s Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy to witness the impact of this initiative, focusing on how these 6 motorised boats can provide access to richer offshore areas.
By equipping these fishers with motorised canoes, GPS devices, and coolers, the initiative will enable fishers to journey up to 10 nautical miles offshore. The hope is that these fishers will be able to access to higher-value fish stocks in deeper waters. This shift aims to reduce pressure on coastal fish populations while providing fishers with a more sustainable and profitable catch. This initiative is expected to boost fishers’ daily catches, currently limited to 3–5 kg per day per person, by allowing them to stay out longer and cover wider areas.
To monitor the progress and sustainability of this pilot project, the fishers will log catch data, fishing areas, and species information in records submitted to the regional fisheries offices every two weeks. This evidence-based approach will allow SFACT and partners to refine and expand the program, with the goal of rolling out a similar model across Madagascar’s coastal regions.
SFACT is proud to support this impactful initiative, offering fishers new opportunities to sustain both their communities and the marine resources on which they rely. By empowering fishers to explore beyond their traditional waters, SFACT and Madagascar’s Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy are helping safeguard coastal ecosystems while enhancing livelihoods, creating a model for sustainable small-scale fishing worldwide.
