The West - Madagascar - page 663

diverseecosystems,includingguidedtourstothebaobabandmangroveforests,island
visits, whale-watching, snorkelling and diving within marine reserves that protect
some of the healthiest coral reefs in the country. Velondriake has a community-man-
aged eco-lodge at the north end of Andavadoaka (see www.livewiththesea.org ).
Since2006,fisheriesmanagementmodelsdevelopedinAndavadoakahaveinspired
othervillagestotakecontroloftheirownfisheries,andlocallymanagedreserveshave
sincebeenestablishedupanddownthecoast,withdozensofothervillagesreplicating
Velondriake'sworkoverseveralhundredkilometresofcoastlinethroughoutthesouth-
west. The effectiveness of Velondriake's reserves in increasing the size and catches of
octopus-theregion'smosteconomicallyimportantfishery-alsocaughttheattention
of Madagascar's national government, which in 2005 passed legislation creating sea-
sonal closures of the octopus fishery nationwide.
In2009,SambaRoger,aformerteacherfromAndavadoakaandVelondriake'selec-
ted President, was awarded WWF's prestigious J Paul Getty Award for conservation.
This highly respected award celebrates outstanding leadership in conservation and
was given in recognition of Roger's inspirational role in Velondriake's success. He
can be contacted through the Velondriake information centre.
The enormous accomplishments of Velondriake today are a testament to how local
management of resources can be both successful and sustainable. Through creating
a sense of ownership and pride of marine and coastal resources, as well as enabling
communitiestotakelawfulactionsasnecessary,Velondriakeisachievingtheprimary
goalofprotectingmarineandcoastalbiodiversityandtraditional livelihoodsinsouth-
west Madagascar.
ANDAVADOAKA AND AMPASILAVA These two adjacent villages are on a truly fant-
astic beach 48km to the south of Morombe.
Andavadoaka has been described as the only coastal village in Madagascar whose set-
tingrivalsthatofTaolagnaro.Theareacanboasttherichestmarineecosystemonthesouth-
west coast, and has therefore become the home for many migrating fishermen (see Click
Here ) , as well as a developing tourist resort. The diving is far superior to any that can be
foundatAnakaoorIfaty.Mantarays,whales,sharksandturtlesareregularlyseenandphe-
nomenal megapods of up to 500 dolphins have also been sighted in recent years. The area
also hosts the marine organisation Blue Ventures which is working on several impressive
conservation projects.
RichardNimmoofBlueVentureswrites:'Andavadoakaisaremotevillagebuttremend-
ously rewarding as a result; a very different experience from the beach resorts like Ifaty
and Anakao. It is a place where you can truly experience local culture and see the lives of
fishermen unchanged forcenturies. Andavadoaka is one ofthe largest fishing communities