Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VELONDRIAKE MARINE PROTECTED AREA
The Vezo people who inhabit the southwestern coast depend on the sea for their
livelihood and cultural identity. In order to achieve sustainable use of their nat-
ural resources, local people created Madagascar's first community-managed
protected area, Velondriake ( www.velondriake.org ) , in 2006. The protected
area spans over 640 sq km - making it the largest locally managed marine re-
serve in the Indian Ocean - and is managed by 25 communities using dina , a
traditional law recognised by the Malagasy government. Velondriake contains
areas where traditional fishing activities continue, and others where it is tempor-
arily or permanently forbidden. Conservation efforts even extend to aquaculture
and family planning, in order to reduce dependency on natural resources. The
program has been a great success, and is now being replicated elsewhere along
the reef and in other parts of Madagascar by Blue Ventures and partner conser-
vation groups.
Activities
Blue Ventures ECOTOURS, DIVING
( 034 45 532 05; www.blueventures.org ) Blue Ventures is an NGO working with the
local community to create incentives for the sustaninable management of the the reef and
its many resources. Staff hold daily lectures and guide visits to BV's bewildering array of
community-based conservation and development initiatives. The organisation also offers a
range of local ecotours, which further tie the community to the preservation of the natural
world. Visitors can learn to line, spear, and net fish with the Vezo in Velondriake Marine
Protected Area, to sail a pirogue to the island of Nosy Hao, or can take a tour of the spiny
forest and its remarkable baobab trees. Call ahead or ask in person once you arrive; trips
can be arranged with little advanced notice.
Madablu DIVING
( 034 38 192 36, 034 60 168 53; www.madablu.com ; 2 dives €80) Italo and Nina, the
dedicated Italian couple running this PADI operation, know everything about diving in this
area, and are a pleasure to work with. Whale-watching trips are offered June to September.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search