Page 11 - Madagascar Report

The opportunity
Mariculture

Mariculture in Madagascar is still undergoing development and improvement through the numerous
pilot projects. Focus on this marine activity has been on crabs, eel, sea cucumber and blue-green algae
projects. In addition, prawn farming has been prevalent in Madagascar and has yielded tremendous Country Profile
success. Mariculture provides jobs opportunities which goes a long way in reducing poverty and boosting
fisheries production in Madagascar. It also earns Madagascar foreign exchange of up to US $62 million. The Republic of Madagascar

Some of the challenges facing the sector include limited research on advanced methods of farming
Vandalism and theft, destruction of mangrove ecosystem and unsustainable farming methods.
However, these can be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Marine governance
Although the country is grappling with weak systems for marine governance, there is opportunity to
improve them. Madagascar is a member of the International Maritime Organization and a signatory
to other international agreements including the United Nations Law of the Sea. Its membership to
these two ensures Madagascar delimitation of coastal zones and baselines is in accordance with
international law. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also ensures preservation
and protection of the marine life from pollution, piracy and robbery in the high sea.

At the national level, Madagascar has adopted an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Approach.
The approach incorporates local municipalities and communities in marine governance. The
institutional framework for marine issues includes the Ministry of National Defence which protects
Madagascar coastal and maritime zone from external attacks. Other institutions include the Fisheries
and Fishery Resources and the Fisheries and Monitoring Centre.

There is also opportunity to update the 2004-2007 Fisheries And Aquaculture Master Plan and thus
improve the governance of the sector.

Addressing food security
The government has prioritized programmes in fisheries to ensure improved fish production and to
boost food nutrient demand thus addressing food security. This is been evidenced by the numerous
pilot projects on mariculture particularly prawn farming. In addition, the National Disaster Risk
Management Strategy 2016-2025 aims to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems to effects of climate
change and other natural disaster that exacerbate food insecurity.

There are opportunities for national and regional policies to highlight the contribution of fish to food
security more broadly – for instance the Comprehensive Food and Nutrition Security and Vulnerability
Analysis, 2010 and the Indian Ocean Commission Regional Food Security Strategy of 2012.

Climate Change
The challenge

Climate related events such as floods, droughts and tropical storms are increasing in frequency and
intensity and threatening the livelihoods, health and well-being of the Malagasy people especially those

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