Madagascar

Madagascar is a country heavily dependent on small-scale fisheries and related activities for the livelihoods of a considerable part of its population. Small-scale fisheries in Madagascar are present in both marine and inland waters, and about 60 percent of national fisheries production is provided by the subsector. Fishing communities are described as “vulnerable,” and this vulnerability is mainly reflected in the population’s inability to develop adaptive strategies to cope with shocks (bad weather, drought, cyclones, and disease). The main constraints on subsistence, as declared by the fishers, are essentially the depletion of resources, insufficiency of fishing materials and equipment, as well as a lack of technical competence in fish processing, associated with the lack of means for conservation and transport of small-scale fisheries products.

The project entitled “Creating an Enabling Environment for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries”, by FAO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), supported activities related to the development of a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in Madagascar, promoted studies to understand the needs of the fishing value chain, and established local management plans.

The FAO project titled “Implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines for Gender-Equitable and Climate-Resilient Food Systems and Livelihoods”, a Sub-programme of the FAO Flexible Voluntary Contributions fund (FVC), builds on the work mentioned above, but targets specific regions and focuses on nutrition and women in the post-harvest sector. Under the FMM project, FAO worked towards supporting existing school feeding programmes to include more aquatic food products sourced from small-scale fisheries.

The second phase of the FVC-funded project builds on previous results and aims to provide training, capacity building, equipment, and infrastructure to local communities based on recommendations from the previous assessments. It organizes exchange visits and peer-to-peer learning related to climate-smart practices, the use and management of equipment/infrastructure, establishes savings groups, and provides training related to financial management, increases governance of fishing communities, and continues to support the development and implementation of the NPOA-SSF in Madagascar.

To ensure access for small-scale fisheries women’s organizations to markets, such as through public procurement and other market linkages, the projects also supported the National Network of Women in Fisheries in Madagascar (RENAFEP MADA) by conducting a needs assessment that informed the provision of capacity building and the procurement of the equipment and small infrastructure needed for improved processing and conservation of small-scale fisheries products.

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