Artisanal and industrial fishing, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal tourism and the protection of marine ecosystems are all sectors that contribute to the economic development of Madagascar.
Thousands of households in the country depend directly on fishing for their food and income. However, these resources are not unlimited.
Population growth is putting pressure on natural resources. As the population continues to increase, fisheries resources remain limited and vulnerable to overexploitation practices.
This situation highlights the need to put in place sustainable management mechanisms capable of preserving fish stocks while allowing their responsible exploitation.
« As a large island, Madagascar is betting heavily on promoting the blue economy. It is for this reason that we have already ratified 25 global instruments so far and our parliament has also adopted the bill on the ratification of the agreement on the World Trade Organization relating to the subsidy for fisheries, » says Koko Chantal of Cupertino, Regional Director of Fisheries and the Blue Economy in Madagascar.
Despite these important commitments, the effective implementation of international fishing tools remains a challenge for Madagascar.
This situation is not unique. Many member states of the African Union encounter similar difficulties in the application of international conventions and agreements. Some factors explain these difficulties.
Technical and institutional capacities sometimes remain insufficient. The monitoring of fishing activities in such a large maritime area requires significant logistical, technological and human resources.
However, the resources available to control and monitor maritime activities remain limited.
« We have certainly ratified the instruments, but the challenge is implementation. Our participation in the work of the UA-BIRA is to see how partners can help us move forward for the conservation and also for the exploitation of our resources in a sustainable way, » shares Ms. Koko Chantal of Cupertino, also a focal point of the UA-BIRA in Madagascar.
The future of the blue economy will largely depend on the ability of countries to transform international commitments into concrete actions on the ground.
This includes strengthening institutional capacities, improving mechanisms for controlling fishing activities and actively involving local communities in the management of marine resources.
source : agridigitale
