In response to declining local octopus populations, community leaders in the coastal village of Andavadoaka sought to regulate harvesting practices. With guidance from Blue Ventures, a UK-based NGO, the village authorities created a trial "no-take zone" in 2004 where octopus hunting was banned for a period of seven months. Enforcement was rooted in the tradition of Dina, or local codes of conduct, which are common throughout Madagascar.

The results were increases in the mean weight of octopus caught by around 50%, prompting many neighbouring villages to ask Andavadoaka for support in creating no-take zones in their own near-shore waters. An inter-village organization was created to assist these villages, and ultimately 23 villages came together in 2006 to form the Velondriake Locally Managed Marine Area, containing both temporary and permanent no-take zones in which fish, mangroves, and other marine organisms are conserved.

 

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2006

Founded: 2004

Location: Toliara Province

Beneficiaries: 9,200 villagers

Biodiversity: Velondriake locally-managed marine area

 

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