Fishing for the future: How to empower coastal communities and save marine life

The ocean breathes life into the land. People depend on it for both food and income. In Andavadoaka, southwest Madagascar, small-scale fisheries support hundreds of livelihoods. But overfishing and climate change threaten marine life. To reel in this problem, conservationist Gilde Tahindraza is rebuilding coastal communities. 

“We’ve seen a lot of pressure on marine resources,” he says. Tahindraza is Vezo, a group of people living along coastal Madagascar for whom fishing is an integral part of life. Combining his local knowledge with his passion for marine biology, Tahindraza is the regional manager of Blue Ventures in Andavadoaka. This non-profit reconstructs fisheries and empowers fishers while bolstering marine sustainability. 

Their projects include working with communities to implement temporary closures of octopus fisheries, giving the animals time to grow in size and reproduce before the new season. Another initiative focuses on halting the degradation of mangrove forests. Blue Ventures supports coastal people to run the world’s largest community-led mangrove carbon conservation project in Madagascar, protecting and restoring 1 200 hectares of forest. An expert in establishing community-managed projects, Tahindraza upskills locals in marine management to protect valuable resources. 

These initiatives have far-reaching impacts. The organisation is active on shorelines from Belize and Mozambique to Indonesia, giving marine life the chance to thrive while still supporting livelihoods. But Tahindraza is most proud of the successes in his home country. “Despite the challenges, I’m very optimistic for the future as it’s in the hands of my communities,” he says. Through his work, Tahindraza is reconciling the interests of both his people and the ocean. If we work with nature in mind, it will provide for us in abundance.

Footage by Blue Ventures was used in the creation of this film.