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.

Since July last year, lobster fishing communities in the Anosy region have made significant progress toward sustainable marine resource management under Project Oratsimba. Lobster fishing remains a main source of income, yet stocks have declined in recent decades due to population growth, export market demand, climate change, and unsustainable fishing practices. The project is supporting fishers to implement adaptive locally managed marine areas by strengthening community led governance structures and promoting more resilient livelihood options.

Governance and enforcement capacity of Marine Management Committees in Sainte Luce and Elodrato improved through targeted training on roles, responsibilities, and dina rules. Members demonstrated stronger understanding of patrol planning, reporting, and transparent decision making, with surveys confirming solid knowledge of lobster protection measures. Some gaps remain in financial oversight, fine processing, and inclusive governance.

Transparent elections and community awareness activities strengthened accountability and trust. High participation and positive feedback reflected confidence in the fairness of the process and in newly elected leaders, who are now more proactive in enforcement discussions and seasonal planning.

Financial management workshops provided practical tools for budgeting, record keeping, and planning at committee and household level. The introduction of community auditors and structured reporting improved accountability and confidence in the management of community funds.

Participatory mapping in Ambanihazo enabled fishers to document key fishing sites, identify areas under pressure, and record ecological knowledge such as reproductive cycles and seasonal trends. This evidence is guiding decisions on closures, patrol priorities, and engagement with stakeholders.

Cross visits and gender analysis highlighted barriers and opportunities for women’s participation in fisheries governance and livelihoods.

Overall, the project has laid a strong foundation for locally managed marine areas through participatory planning, proposed seasonal closures, and development of local regulations. Despite logistical challenges and competing livelihood demands, adaptive planning and strong community engagement have sustained progress toward locally led and sustainable marine management. We sincerely thank our donors for their continued support in making this progress possible.