Project Oratsimba

Project Oratsimba is helping fishing communities in southeast Madagascar strengthen community-led fisheries management in response to declining lobster stocks. Across the Anosy region, marine resources face increasing pressure from population growth, market demand, climate change, and unsustainable fishing practices. Through the project, fishers are being empowered to implement sustainable locally managed marine areas (LMMAs) and strengthen local governance systems that support the long-term health of fisheries and coastal livelihoods.

Over the past few months, significant progress has been made across the Oratsimba project area. In Sainte Luce, the Marine Management Committee (MMC) established a partnership with local economic operators, who provided 15 boats in exchange for fishing products. This arrangement is helping generate a sustainable source of income for the MMC, strengthening its ability to support fisheries management activities.

Project Oratsimba has also facilitated consultations between MMCs across the region to improve coordination and cooperation. During these discussions, community members explored the creation of a representative committee that would bring together leaders from different communities to address shared challenges and strengthen collaboration. MMCs expressed a strong commitment to supporting one another through coordinated patrols of no-take zones and improved enforcement of community-agreed fisheries regulations.

In Ambanihazo, an important milestone was achieved through the election of a new MMC and the establishment of a local 'dina', a community-agreed set of rules promoting sustainable fishing practices. The dina was developed collaboratively with local authorities and neighbouring MMCs, helping to strengthen local ownership and cooperation. The new committee has also been actively managing the community's no-take zone during its first fishing season. Project Oratsimba worked closely with the committee and local fisheries authorities to provide training in no-take zone patrols and fisheries data collection, helping members build the skills needed to monitor and manage marine resources effectively.

Meanwhile, in Elodrato, community members and MMC representatives participated in dina reporting training, improving awareness of reporting mechanisms and accountability procedures that support effective fisheries governance.

Thank you for making this work possible. Your generous support is helping coastal communities protect marine ecosystems, strengthen local governance, and build more resilient livelihoods for the future.