In Andavadoaka, a Vezo village on the western coast of Madagascar, marine ecosystems are a precious resource. Over 71 percent of Vezo people rely on fishing as their sole source of income. But local fisheries can no longer support local demand: the Vezo population doubles every 10–15 years, and higher-yield fishing techniques put ecosystems under greater pressure. “From 1980 to 2000, there were always plenty of fish,” said Alex Nobert, a native of Andavadoaka, in an interview with Blue Ventures. “Since 2001, fish have become more and more rare. We have to go 5 to 15 kilometers to find fish.”

In 2003, Ashoka Fellow Alisdair Harris founded Blue Ventures to develop marine conservation programs together with local communities, putting resources back in the hands of villagers and creating fisheries that are economically and environmentally sustainable.

For full article, see link below: