Known as one of the most productive fisheries zones of Madagascar, the BATAN marine zone - which includes the Bays of Ampasindava, Tsimipaika, and Ambaro, together with the archipelago of Nosy Be in the northwest of Madagascar – has a new Fisheries Management Plan. The Plan was developed by WCS in partnership with the Ministry of Aquatic Resources and Fisheries and was formally adopted on February 15, 2018 in Antananarivo. The new plan aims to establish a sustainable balance between the existing fisheries in the area i.e. small-scale, artisanal, recreational and industrial fisheries, thus ensuring equal distribution of the wealth generated by fisheries to all stakeholders. It also aims to maintain the quality of marine resources ecosystem services while preserving the sensitive habitats that are essential for the renewal of marine resources that in turn increase the wellbeing of coastal populations.

WCS is grateful to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust’s support without whom this work would not have been possible.

As part of the realization of the “Sydney Promise” – a presidential commitment made at the World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia, in 2014 to triple the surface of Madagascar’s marine protected areas – the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) funded WCS Madagascar to initiate a process of national marine conservation planning.

This process, which was carried out in close collaboration with the Government of Madagascar and partner NGOs, aimed to identify priority zones for marine conservation based on ecological, socio-economic data.
The process also examined the required legal framework and sustainable financing mechanisms that would be needed for the development of a future expanded marine protected area network.

Next steps in the process include the integration of the results of this work into national territorial planning processes that are being carried out by the Government and the identification of future MPAs within the priority zones. We would like to thank the CEPF for its support for this process and our Government and NGO partners for their close collaboration throughout this process.

WCS Madagascar has developed a four pillar strategy for the protection of some of the world’s most endangered lemur species that are found in Makira Natural Park including the Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra), the White-belted Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata subcincta), and the Indri (Indri indri). The strategy includes an integrated approach of critical habitat restoration, hunting control, marking of the park boundaries to limit incursions, and awareness-raising with local partners.

Over the last four months, WCS organized 60 community patrols within Makira Natural Park as part of this strategy. Patrollers covered a distance of nearly 150km on foot to monitor lemur abundance and check for traps or other signs of hunting.
The results were encouraging: patrollers encountered six diurnal lemur species out of the seven present in the park, and destroyed 14 lemur traps. Next steps include awareness sessions on regulations protecting lemurs.
WCS is grateful to IUCN’s SOS – Save Our Species (www.SaveOurSpecies.org) for their support of the project.

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