Blue forests

Madagascar’s mangroves support globally important marine biodiversity, and underpin the traditional livelihoods and fisheries of some of the world’s most vulnerable coastal communities. However, mangroves are being cut down for timber, charcoal, and plantations with rates of loss of these ecosystems exceeding 3.5% per annum in some areas.

The "Blue forests" project aimed to conserve and restore mangrove forests and fisheries in Belo sur Mer on Madagascar’s west coast, directly supporting more than 1,500 fishers based in Menabe and indirectly benefiting an estimated 7,000 people living in the coastal areas of Menabe Region.

Blue Ventures trained community associations and village forest management groups to govern and manage mangrove forests. The organisation supported them to develop and implement mangrove management plans, which included replanting degraded mangrove areas. It provided training on monitoring mangrove survival rates and on the establishment of community surveillance committees, responsible for enforcing the local bylaws that govern marine and coastal resource use.

Through the "Blue forests" project, Blue Ventures helped address the drivers of deforestation and fisheries overexploitation by supporting communities to develop alternative livelihood options, which provided the financial breathing space communities needed to engage in marine conservation and local natural resource management.

By the end of the project, mangrove coverage had increased from 2 to 51 hectares, and the crab catch per fisherman had risen from 249 grammes to over 6 kilogrammes, testifying to the success of the measures undertaken, both for the environment and for local communities.