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Our News
Malagasy small-scale fishers are in crisis!
Every June 8, we celebrate World Oceans Day. It is an opportunity for us to remind the world of their importance in our daily lives. On this day of June 8, 2020, it is clear how much the Malagasy small-scale fishermen are upset by the current health crisis.
Let us first remember that the fishing industry not only feeds many families, but also provides income for the more than 100,000 small fishers on the big island. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, the daily lives of these fishermen have deteriorated. "This health crisis is likely to cost fishing communities dearly if measures to facilitate the sale of fishery products, access to markets, processing of products, access to information and the delivery of basic necessities are not taken," says Lalaina Rakotonaivo from WWF, with concern. "The suspension of fishing activities leads to significant loss of income for different actors in the sector, such as fishermen, fish merchants and collectors.”
Without buyers, the price of fishery products has fallen to one-tenth of the normal price in some regions. The very limited access to markets and the lack of income force some fishermen to borrow. In Ankazomborona, in Ambaro Bay, Amedy Ben Issouf, a fisherman, confesses that "since March, we no longer generate any profit and we sell our products at a loss. As we can't sell them all, we are forced to sell them at a derisory price: 10 units at only 2,000 ariary (0.5 euro). We are now forced to salt and dry about half of our tuna and mackerel, which are quickly perishable".
Beyond these many challenges, the efforts undertaken by these communities for the sustainable management of marine resources continue with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, WWF and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Fishermen grouped together in their locally managed marine areas (LMMAs) are strengthening patrols in north-western Madagascar, and monitoring and data collection activities on small-scale fisheries continue. Their dedication has led to the identification of illegal logging of mangroves, such as the 200 hectares of mangroves cleared in Ambanja in May. (In reference to Baomiavotse Vahinala Raharinirina's Facebook publication of 23 May 2020)
Without buyers, the price of fishery products has fallen to one-tenth of the normal price in some regions. The very limited access to markets and the lack of income force some fishermen to borrow. In Ankazomborona, in Ambaro Bay, Amedy Ben Issouf, a fisherman, confesses that "since March, we no longer generate any profit and we sell our products at a loss. As we can't sell them all, we are forced to sell them at a derisory price: 10 units at only 2,000 ariary (0.5 euro). We are now forced to salt and dry about half of our tuna and mackerel, which are quickly perishable".
Beyond these many challenges, the efforts undertaken by these communities for the sustainable management of marine resources continue with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, WWF and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Fishermen grouped together in their locally managed marine areas (LMMAs) are strengthening patrols in north-western Madagascar, and monitoring and data collection activities on small-scale fisheries continue. Their dedication has led to the identification of illegal logging of mangroves, such as the 200 hectares of mangroves cleared in Ambanja in May. (In reference to Baomiavotse Vahinala Raharinirina's Facebook publication of 23 May 2020)