This is the striking conclusion of new research published in PLOS ONE evaluating a local fisheries management regime in Madagascar, highlighting compelling economic benefits and their role in catalysing community engagement in broader marine management efforts.
Marine scientists from Blue Ventures Conservation studied octopus landings in the remote southwest of the island over an eight-year period, during which villagers periodically set aside designated areas of their fishing grounds as temporary ‘closures’ to octopus fishing.
Fished by both women and men, octopus is one of the region’s most important stocks, sold on to export markets with seafood companies transporting catches from some of the Indian Ocean’s remotest villages all the way to restaurants and supermarket shelves in southern Europe.
During the temporary closure period, octopus fishing in designated areas is banned by a local law established by community committees. When the closed sites are reopened to fishing, villagers share in a surge of catches, thanks to the rapid growth rates of reef octopus.
These closures generate significant and recurring ‘pay-offs’ for coastal communities in short timeframes, which is particularly important in a country where over 90% of the population live on less than $2 per day.
Having experienced the economic benefits of these closures, communities are embarking on broader marine protection efforts, establishing locally managed marine protected areas encompassing permanent reserves where all forms of fishing are prohibited.
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