First reopening of octopus reserves on the Mahafaly coast since 2021.

Posted on 24 September 2022

As we know, the pandemic has hit hard the communities managing the natural resources of Madagascar.

Fishing communities have not been spared and the gradual return to normal life is underway.

It is in this perspective that the communities of the Mahafaly coast, south of Toliara have decided to continue to close their temporary fishing reserves to support the regeneration of resources and ensure the sustainable management of their coral reefs. Thus, the eleven community-managed marine areas around the Nosy Ve-Androka marine protected area reopened their temporary octopus reserves in September.
The octopuses from the reserves were caught, counted and weighed before being distributed. This is important because the fishing communities are doing this to understand how many kilos of octopus have been caught, how big they are and how abundant they are. Therefore, they can adjust the closure time of their stocks, compare this year's stocks with past years and based on the results, they can decide how they will manage their reefs for the coming months and years. Fishers, women and men from coastal and surrounding villages grouped in 29 Fokontany benefited from the reserves.

The weight of large individuals observed varies from one reserve to another, with a maximum weight of 5.5 kg observed in the village of Besambay. According to Alexis Jean Romain, president of the fokontany and at the same time secretary of the community that manages the reefs around Besambay, they have carried out regular patrols and surveillance to avoid illegal fishing practices on their territory (illegal fishing techniques and non-standard materials).

The president of the Ambola communities, where the largest octopus caught was 5.2 kg, is not entirely satisfied with the yield of their reserve. For him, the quantities of octopus caught in Ambola in 2022 are less than before the Covid pandemic19 , the sea has been rough lately and there has been persistent bad weather in the reefs around his village.
In total, nearly three tons of octopus were caught in the 11 locally managed marine areas of the Mahafaly coast.