The South - Madagascar - page 410

Pandanus -fringed waterway. Then it's a walk back along another forest trail to the visitor
centre and tree nursery.
VISITING MANDENA ( Entry 10,000Ar inc guided walk & boat trip ) The main hotels
andtouroperatorsinTaolagnarorundaytrips,butindependenttravellerscancontactQMM
( m 033 12 815 04 ). The reserve is about 10km from Taolagnaro (a beautiful drive) so is
within cycling distance. A taxi costs around 50,000Ar for the round-trip. There is a camp-
site just outside the boundary of the reserve (tent hire 2,000Ar) and in this area you can
walk unguided. There is also a restaurant where you can eat lunch.
ANDOHAHELA NATIONAL PARK
This national park (pronounced 'andoowa hela ') opened to tourists in 1998, and is a model
of its kind. Much thought has gone into the blend of low-key tourist facilities and the in-
volvement of local people.
SISAL
Hilary Bradt
This crop was introduced to Madagascar in the inter-war years, with the first exports
taking place in 1922 when 42 tons were sent to France. By 1938, 2,537 tons were
exported and 3,500ha of sisal were planted in the Toliara and Taolagnaro region. By
1950 production reached 3,080 tons. In 1952 a synthetic substitute was developed in
theUSandthemarketdropped.TheFrenchgovernmentsteppedinwithsubsidiesand
bought 10,000 tons.
The Toliara plantations were closed in 1958 leaving only the de Heaulme planta-
tions in Taolagnaro. In 1960 these covered 16,000ha and, by the mid-1990s, 30,000ha
ofendemicspinyforest(over100squaremiles!)hadbeenclearedtomakewayforthe
crop, with plantations under the ownership of six different companies. Workers earn
32,000Ar per month (1999 figure). There is no sick pay or pension provision. The de
Heaulme plantation alone employs 15,000 people who cut 300,000 leaves per day.
Andhere'ssomethingtothinkabout:inthelate1990stherewasaresurgenceofde-
mand for sisal, with exports reaching 5,000 tons in the year 2005, putting more spiny
forest at risk. Why? Because we 'green' consumers in the EU are demanding biode-
gradable packaging. And what is the best biodegradable substance? Sisal!