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Rio Tinto invests $16m in Makira Natural Park REDD+ Project in Madagascar

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(November 15, 2024) BAKU, Azerbaijan -- Rio Tinto has committed $16 million to the Makira Natural Park REDD+ Project in northern Madagascar, through a new partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Everland. This commitment complements Rio Tinto’s investment in nature-based solutions in the south-east of the country. The Makira Natural Park REDD+ Project encompasses 372,000 hectares of dense primary forest. One of the largest remaining rainforests in the country, harbouring 17 species of ...

Involvement in conservation can change life

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Involvement in conservation can change life

(June 22, 2022) Fabiola Anjarafidy lives in a small village called Ampohagna, one of the...

SWM Newsletter - Issue 8 (May to October 2021)

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(March 10, 2022) Please read the complete News here

SWM Newsletter - Issue 7 (November 2020 to April 2021)

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SWM Newsletter - Issue 7 (November 2020 to April 2021)

(March 08, 2022) Please read the complete News here

SWM Programme Newsletter Issue 6 - July to October 2020

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SWM Programme Newsletter Issue 6 - July to October 2020

(March 08, 2022) Please read the complete News here

Build Trust First, Take Action Later

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Build Trust First, Take Action Later

(June 22, 2020) - I work in one of Madagascar’s largest remaining blocks of intact tropical forest. Located in the northeastern part of the island, Makira Natural Park boasts unique and beautiful wildlife like lemurs that are found only on the huge island. Other unusual species include the Fossa, a short-legged puma-like animal but smaller and in fact, related to the mongoose; and spiny little tenrecs that look like a mixture of hedgehog, shrew, and opossum.

SWM newsletter, November 2019 to February 2020

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SWM newsletter, November 2019 to February 2020

(February 14, 2020) Please read the complete News here

Journée mondiale de l'environnement

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(January 22, 2020) https://lexpress.mg/05/06/2020/journee-mondiale-de-lenvironnement-honneur-a-la-biodiversite/

Communiqué de presse conjoint - Lancement SWM

Views: 2286

(May 02, 2019) - Madagascar a lancé son projet de gestion durable de la faune le 30 avril 2019, qui s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un programme global financé par le 11ème FED de la Commission Européenne pour une stratégie intra-ACP (groupe des Etats d’Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique) déclinée dans douze pays ACP pilotes.

GEF-Satoyama Quarterly Newsletter October to December 2018 and Issue Brief

Views: 2124

GEF-Satoyama Quarterly Newsletter October to December 2018 and Issue Brief

(April 15, 2019) The quarterly newsletter highlighting the main activities of the quarter October to December 2018 has been released. This can be found at http://gef-satoyama.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GEF-Satoyama-Project-Quarterly-Report-FY19Q2.pdf. Follow this link to read the Issue Brief http://gef-satoyama.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GEF-Satoyama-Issue-brief.pdf, the French version can be found at http://gef-satoyama.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GEF-Satoyama-Issue-Bri...

SWM - Bulletin d’information Numéro 1 - janvier à mars 2019

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SWM - Bulletin d’information Numéro 1 - janvier à mars 2019

(April 04, 2019) - J’ai le plaisir de vous présenter le premier bulletin d’information du Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme...

GEF-Satoyama Quarterly Newsletter July to September 2018 and Issue Brief

Views: 1884

GEF-Satoyama Quarterly Newsletter July to September 2018 and Issue Brief

(December 13, 2018) The quarterly newsletter highlighting the main activities of the quarter July to September 2018 has been released. This can be found at http://gef-satoyama.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/GEF-Satoyama-Project-Quarterly-Report-FY19Q1.pdf. Follow this link to read the Issue Brief http://gef-satoyama.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/GEF-Satoyama-Issue-brief.pdf. The webpage dedicated to our project on gef-satoyama website can be found at http://gef-satoyama.net/subgrantp...

GEF-Satoyama Quarterly Newsletter January to March 2018

Views: 1990

GEF-Satoyama Quarterly Newsletter January to March 2018

(July 23, 2018) The quarterly newsletter highlighting the main activities of the quarter January to March 2018 has been released. This can be found at http://gef-satoyama.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/GEF-Satoyama-Project-Quarterly-Report-FY18Q3.pdf.The webpage dedicated to our project on gef-satoyama website can be found at http://gef-satoyama.net/subgrantprojects/wcs/

Report on the launch of the LAFA Forum

Views: 2625

Report on the launch of the LAFA Forum

(December 20, 2017) Lafa_Compte rendu de lancement.pdf

GEF-Satoyama quarterly newsletter, July to September, 2017

Views: 2225

GEF-Satoyama quarterly newsletter, July to September, 2017

(November 20, 2017) The fourth quarterly newsletter of the GEF-Satoyama project has been released. It can be found at GEF-Satoyama Project Quarterly Report

National working session for the conservation & sustainable management of sharks and rays in Madagascar

Views: 2489

National working session for the conservation & sustainable management of sharks and rays in Madagascar

(October 06, 2017) Twenty-five experts from around Madagascar, including scientists from WCS, representatives of Government, researchers, and NGO partners met during a national working session for the conservation and sustainable management of sharks and rays in Madagascar, on September 7, 2017. The objective of the meeting, which was financed by the Global Partnership for Sharks and Rays, was to identify priority actions in relation with sharks and rays and the issues on their conservation and to discuss how dif...

GEF-Satoyama quarterly newsletter, April to June, 2017

Views: 2356

GEF-Satoyama quarterly newsletter, April to June, 2017

(August 28, 2017) The fourth quarterly newsletter of the GEF-Satoyama project has been released. It can be found at GEF-Satoyama Project Quarterly Report 17-04

SATOYAMA Quarterly newsletter, January - March, 2017

Views: 2575

SATOYAMA Quarterly newsletter, January - March, 2017

(July 17, 2017) The GEF-Satoyama-Project Quarterly Report can be found at http://gef-satoyama.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/GEF-Satoyama-Project-Quarterly-Report-FY17Q3.pdf.

SATOYAMA Quarterly newsletter, July - September, 2016

Views: 3028

SATOYAMA Quarterly newsletter, July - September, 2016

(January 09, 2017) The GEF-Satoyama-Project Quarterly Report can be found at http://gef-satoyama.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/GEF-Satoyama-Project-Quarterly-Report-Final.pdf

"I Am Madagascar" exhibition of children's artwork from Makira to support WCS's education program

Views: 7638

"I Am Madagascar" exhibition of children's artwork from Makira to support WCS's education program

(January 09, 2017) http://www.roguespacechelsea.com/rf-news/2016/11/22/i-am-madagascarhttps://www.facebook.com/events/750582638415272/permalink/750583008415235/

Empowering local communities to manage small-scale fisheries

Views: 2971

Empowering local communities to manage small-scale fisheries

(March 02, 2016) This solution addresses Overexploitation of marine resources; Lacking sense of ownership & legal recognition in Antongil Bay, northeast Madagascar for 100,000 people from 26 Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) in Antongil Bay.LocationAntongil Bay, northeast MadagascarChallengesOverexploitation of marine resources; Lacking sense of ownership & legal recognitionChallenge Description100,000 predominantly poor, rural people, rely on the rich waters of Antongil Bay to sustain their livelihoo...

Climate Solutions in Madagascar

Views: 2446

Climate Solutions in Madagascar

(December 17, 2015) With the climate talks in Paris wrapping up, attention will soon move to how we convert the commitments into practical solutions to meeting the challenges posed by climate change to social and ecological systems.

Madagascar’s Singing Lemur

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Madagascar’s Singing Lemur

(December 17, 2015) My favorite is, in fact, the Indri indri – the largest of Madagascar’s living lemur species, and one that will always hold a special significance for me.

Pivoting from Paris to Madagascar on Climate Change

Views: 2430

Pivoting from Paris to Madagascar on Climate Change

(December 08, 2015) Deforestation contributes more carbon to the atmosphere than the world's cars and trucks combined—and the biodiversity-rich forests of the planet's fourth-largest island are under attack.The land of the lemur has a few lessons for us all – especially as international climate change talks in Paris unfold. While most of the headlines will focus on the global growth of carbon-based industries, there’s good reason to likewise pay close attention to deforestation, another significant source of carbon...

Aires marines protégées : La pêche industrielle interdite dans trois sites pilotes

Views: 3233

Aires marines protégées : La pêche industrielle interdite dans trois sites pilotes

(October 08, 2015) Dans les sites d’Ankarea et d’Ankivonjy, l’effort développé par la pêche artisanale et la pêche sportive est gelé. De nouvelles mesures de gestion de pêche ont été adoptées par le ministère des Ressources Halieutiques et de la Pêche en collaboration avec Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) au niveau des Aires Marines Protégées (AMP). Il s’agit de l’octroi d’un droit d&r...

Pêche – Les aires protégées marines vulnérables

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Pêche – Les aires protégées marines vulnérables

(October 08, 2015) La biodiversité des ressources maritimes menacées par les pratiques de pêche non durables. L’exploitation intensive dans les aires protégées diminue les ressources halieutiques. Ces exploitations se font de manière industrielle, artisanale ou sportive. « Les prises des pêcheurs sont à l’origine de la diminution des ressources dans les aires protégées marines », a déploré hier, à Ampan...

Government of Madagascar Inaugurates Makira Natural Park

Views: 3156

Government of Madagascar Inaugurates Makira Natural Park

(June 08, 2015) ssautner posted on May 29, 2015 08:55 Government of Madagascar Inaugurates Makira Natural Park Malagasy government, WCS, and other partners hold ceremony for official inauguration of Makira Natural Park, the first of 95 new protected areas in MadagascarMakira Natural Park becomes key for regional wildlife conservation, sustainable development, and carbon sequestration NEW YORK (May 29, 2015)—The Government of Madagascar has officially inaugurated Makira Natural Park, home to 20 species of...

WFEN Welcomes WCS-Madagascar as a Certified Enterprise

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WFEN Welcomes WCS-Madagascar as a Certified Enterprise

(May 18, 2015) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWCS Madagascar brings raffia, cocoa beans, vanilla, cloves and community managed tourism to the Certified Wildlife Friendly® suite of conservation enterprises, products and services while protecting some of the most endangered primates in the worldANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR: – 14 May 2015 – The Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN), a global community dedicated to supporting products that conserve threatened wildlife and contribut...

May 5--Lafaza and WCS Announce New Partnership For Sustainable Vanilla and Clove Production Around Madagascar’s Makira Natural Park

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May 5--Lafaza and WCS Announce New Partnership For Sustainable Vanilla and Clove Production Around Madagascar’s Makira Natural Park

(May 18, 2015) Lafaza and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) today announced the launch of a new partnership to work with communities to expand environmentally sustainable vanilla and clove production around the Makira Natural Park in Madagascar’s northeast. The partnership will support more than 1,900 households to produce high-quality vanilla and cloves that will be destined for international buyers in the United States and abroad.The innovative partnership between Lafaza - a United States a...

Madagascar Creates Nation’s First Community-Led Marine Protected Areas

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Madagascar Creates Nation’s First Community-Led Marine Protected Areas

(April 23, 2015) NEW YORK (April 22, 2015)—The Government of Madagascar commemorates Earth Day with the formal creation of three community-led marine protected areas that will double the surface of the country’s marine protected area network, according to WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society).On April 21, the Malagasy Government granted permanent protection to 27 protected areas, including the country’s first three community-led marine protected areas: Soariake Marine Park in the island nation&rs...

Fête for the Silky Sifaka

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Fête for the Silky Sifaka

(April 07, 2015) Silky sifaka lemurs (Propithecus candidus)–or Simpona in Malgasy–are critically endangered and found in low numbers in Makira National Park in northeast Madagascar. Like most species on this island off the east coast of Africa, they are found nowhere else on Earth. In fact, their presence in Makira was only detected in 2008 during a Wildlife Conservation Society ecological survey.In honor of this primate, the first annual Silky Sifaka Festival was recently held in the village of Anda...

Improved Fish Preservation Tech-nology in Antongil Bay

Views: 3340

Improved Fish Preservation Tech-nology in Antongil Bay

(March 31, 2015) In Antongil Bay a new fish preservation technolo-gy was introduced, via smoking kilns called Alto-na ovens, to reduce post-harvest loss in fish products while increasing income of fish proces-sors, an activity conducted by women. The main benefits of this Altona oven compared to tradi-tional fish processing techniques include lower needs in wood for combustion and the ability to process a greater quantity of fish in a smaller amount of time as well as improved quality of fish products. Thanks to...

Coral Reefs of Mozambique Channel: Leading Candidate for Saving Ma-rine Diversity

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Coral Reefs of Mozambique Channel: Leading Candidate for Saving Ma-rine Diversity

(March 31, 2015) ScienceDaily, April 10, 2014.A study from WCS and others -- generated from data gathered from nearly 300 marine sites over thousands of square miles of ocean -- found that the unique conditions of the northern Mozam-bique Channel -- a confluence of tides, currents, eddies, along with less exposure to waves and storms -- seems to protect the channel's high coral richness. The research team asserts the corals of the Mozambique Channel should be a priority for conservation action. "The remaini...

Community Rangers for Marine Parks Enforcement

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Community Rangers for Marine Parks Enforcement

(March 31, 2015) For the past few years, WCS’s investments in Ankivonjy, Ankarea and Soariake sites have fo-cused on establishing the marine parks. As the marine parks evolve into an operational state, WCS recognizes the importance of promoting proper marine surveillance and law enforcement. To this end, in partnership with the Ministry of Fisheries, and Madagascar Fisheries Surveillance Center (CSP), and with the assistance of an in-ternational expert, WCS conducted a comprehen-sive enforcement assessment...

President of Madagascar Commits to Tripling of MPAs to Conserve Coun-try’s Biodiverse Coastal Waters

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President of Madagascar Commits to Tripling of MPAs to Conserve Coun-try’s Biodiverse Coastal Waters

(March 31, 2015) The President of Madagascar has pledged his country’s commitment to triple marine protected areas to protect Madagascar’s staggering marine biodiversity, which ranges from the largest ex-panse of coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean to one of the world’s largest breeding grounds for humpback whales. The announcement was made by His Excellency Hery Rajaonarimampianina, President of Madagascar, in Sydney, Australia at the closing ceremonies for the 2014 IUCN World Parks Congre...

5 Marine Turtles Conservation in Ankivonjy and Ankarea MPAs

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5 Marine Turtles Conservation in Ankivonjy and Ankarea MPAs

(March 31, 2015) Northwest Madagascar is an important site for the feeding and breeding of marine turtles, espe-cially green and hawksbill turtles. Hawksbill tur-tles, which rarely nest in this part of the Indian Ocean, do nest in some locations in Nosy Iranja (in Ankivonjy MPA), which is also the most im-portant nesting site for green turtles in Madagas-car. Since 2011, WCS has been partnering with Kélonia to improve conservation status of marine turtles in Ankivonjy and Ankarea MPAs. Kélonia, the...

Community-based Sea Cucumber Aquaculture Trialed in Soariake MPA

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Community-based Sea Cucumber Aquaculture Trialed in Soariake MPA

(March 31, 2015) Sea cucumbers are in high demand in Asian mar-kets. As part of a partnership between WCS, the private sector and coastal communities, sea cu-cumber aquaculture has been trialed in Andravona in Soariake marine protected area, Southwestern Madagascar. Indian Ocean Trepang (IOT), a private sector partner, worked with WCS to identify potential sea cucumber farming sites in Saoriake marine protected area and then sup-plied juvenile sea cucumbers reared in their hatchery to be grown in three community...

Final Steps Toward Definitive Protection Status for 3 Marine Parks

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Final Steps Toward Definitive Protection Status for 3 Marine Parks

(March 31, 2015) With a marine zone of over 1 million square kilo-meters – an area nearly double the national land surface - Madagascar supports greater total ma-rine biodiversity than any other western Indian Ocean country. In line with the Aichi targets es-tablished under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Government of Madagascar has committed to tripling the number of marine parks and has enlisted WCS as a leading technical part-ner in this effort. Together with the government and local com...

Madagascar Community Association Wins Prestigious Equator Prize

Views: 2883

Madagascar Community Association Wins Prestigious Equator Prize

(March 31, 2015) A community association, established and sup-ported by WCS since 2003, and focused on im-proving sustainable management of marine re-sources in Madagascar’s Antongil Bay has been awarded the Equator Prize. The community asso-ciation—called the Plateforme de Concertation pour le Développement Durable de la Baie d’Antongil (PCDDBA)— received $5,000 at an award ceremony at the United Nations in New York on September 22, 2014. Presented by the Equator Initiative, the E...

New York Times Features Local Fishers Patrols in Antongil Bay

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New York Times Features Local Fishers Patrols in Antongil Bay

(March 30, 2015) Jeffrey Gettleman, the East Africa Bureau Chief for the New York Times, visited Wildlife Conser-vation Society’s marine program in Antongil Bay, in northeastern Madagascar as part of a story on mosquito net fishing. “It was the most interesting of all the mosquito net trips we made” said Jef-frey Gettleman. “I have done a lot of research on this topic and this is the first place I have heard where there is a community backlash against this type of fishing.” In his a...

New Grants Awarded to WCS to Support Marine Conservation in Madagascar

Views: 2403

New Grants Awarded to WCS to Support Marine Conservation in Madagascar

(March 30, 2015) WCS is grateful to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Associ-ation, and the UK Government through the Dar-win Initiative, for recently awarding new grants to WCS. These partners bring critical support for WCS’s long-term field based conservation efforts in Antongil Bay, Toliara seascape and Nosy Be seascape. The most recent grant, funded by Darwin Initiative, ha...

An interview with WCS’s Country Director, Alison Clausen, on lemur conservation issues

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An interview with WCS’s Country Director, Alison Clausen, on lemur conservation issues

(March 05, 2015) This week, we interview Alison Clausen, the Madagascar Country Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). She is responsible for the continued development of a WCS Madagascar Program which is both site- and species-based, and promotes collaboration with government ministries, the private sector, and the community.

Why is so little attention paid to Madagascar’s incredible wildlife?

Views: 2840

Why is so little attention paid to Madagascar’s incredible wildlife?

(February 11, 2015) Madagascar is home to 5% of global biodiversity and the second highest number of threatened mammals in the world – yet even cartoon lemurs in the movie of the same name seem to receive more public attention and cash

Stand for Trees initiative allows the on-line purchase of carbon credits from the Makira Carbon Project

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Stand for Trees initiative allows the on-line purchase of carbon credits from the Makira Carbon Project

(February 11, 2015) Operating in the area since 1993, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Madagascar's Ministry of the Environment and Forests began creation of the Makira project in 2003, to safeguard one of the largest remaining rainforests in Madagascar.

Government of Madagascar Creates Country’s First Shark Sanctuary

Views: 2657

Government of Madagascar Creates Country’s First Shark Sanctuary

(February 10, 2015) New York (February 3, 2015) – The Government of Madagascar has created the country’s first marine sanctuary for sharks as part of a new law to safeguard the country’s marine resources and the communities that rely on them, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Links between malaria nets and overfishing in East Africa

Views: 2840

Links between malaria nets and overfishing in East Africa

(February 09, 2015) BANGWEULU WETLANDS, Zambia — Out here on the endless swamps, a harsh truth has been passed down from generation to generation: There is no fear but the fear of hunger.

The REAL penguin of Madagascar

Views: 3866

(February 09, 2015) It has been a decade since viewers first encountered the popular penguins of the crowd-pleasing Madagascar movie franchise. In the 2005 hit, the penguins eventually find their way to the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean along with their old friends from the Central Park Zoo: a zebra, lion, giraffe, and a hippo who accidentally got dropped off there. Adventures ensue, the running joke being that these visitors are all out of place on Madagascar, as indeed they are. Or are they?

Resource Users' Perceptions of the Benefits of Marine Management Restrictions

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Resource Users' Perceptions of the Benefits of Marine Management Restrictions

(June 27, 2014) A new study from Wildlife Conservation Society and others evaluated perceptions of the benefits of fisheries management restrictions in coastal Madagascar to identify restrictions that are likely to be self- and community enforced. Resource users' perceptions of the benefits of restrictions were generally high and widespread. Perceptions of the benefits of gear restrictions had wide-spread support; closed areas, seasons, and minimum sizes of fish were less common; and restrictions on...

Coral Reef Bleaching Monitoring in Antongil Bay

Views: 2797

Coral Reef Bleaching Monitoring in Antongil Bay

(June 27, 2014) To assess the impact of climate change on coral reefs, WCS has been conducting, since 2010, bleaching surveys annually in March, two to three weeks after the highest temperatures during warm season, on 10 sites around Antongil Bay. Results indicate that coral reefs of Antongil Bay seem to have great potential for persistence through current climate warming

Community-based Marine Mammal Conservation in South West Madagascar

Views: 3545

Community-based Marine Mammal Conservation in South West Madagascar

(June 27, 2014) Interview surveys in the municipalities of Anakao and Befandefa, located in South West Madagas- car, have previously identified threats to dolphin populations from directed hunting and incidental by-catch. WCS has been working directly with communities since 2007 to educate the people and develop conservation measures to mitigate dolphin mortality. Two community associations were created in each area respectively in 2008 and in 2013 to promote the protection of marine mammals. In the Anakao...

Whale Mass Stranding Attributed to Sonar Mapping For First Time

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Whale Mass Stranding Attributed to Sonar Mapping For First Time

(June 27, 2014) A new report produced by an independent scien- tific review panel and available through the In- ternational Whaling Commission has identified the trigger of the 2008 mass stranding of melon- headed whales in Madagascar. By systematically eliminating other possible causes, the panel con- cluded that underwater sonar mapping— specifically a multi-beam echosounder system— conducted by a survey vessel contracted by Exx- onMobil Exploration and Production Limited trig- gered the event...

NGO Consortium GRET-WCS- FANAMBY Receives Project Innova- tion Grant from AFD

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NGO Consortium GRET-WCS- FANAMBY Receives Project Innova- tion Grant from AFD

(June 27, 2014) The Sectoral Innovation Facility for NGOs (FISONG) is a funding tool from Agence Française de Développement (AFD) which makes the most of NGOs’ specialist know-how and ability to inno- vate. A call for themed projects was launched in 2012 around the theme ‘Biodiversity and devel- opment: sharing the benefits of biodiversity for village communities’. Community management of natural resources can protect ecosystems better and ensure that they are used sustainably w...

First Seascape-scale Fisheries Co- management Plan in Madagascar

Views: 3325

First Seascape-scale Fisheries Co- management Plan in Madagascar

(June 27, 2014) Through collaborative efforts with Wildlife Con- servation Society and resources users, the Minis- try of Fisheries adopted in September 2013 the first seascape scale traditional, artisanal and in- dustrial fisheries co-management plan in Mada- gascar. This 5- year plan for Antongil Bay fisher- ies, established through a bottom-up approach (108 meetings, 6 workshops, 1466 participants), covers 3,746 square kilometers of marine habi- tats and officially confers fisheries management authority to l...

Antongil Bay Locally Managed Marine Areas Network is Growing

Views: 3837

Antongil Bay Locally Managed Marine Areas Network is Growing

(June 27, 2014) Antongil Bay is the largest semi-enclosed bay in Madagascar and is among the most productive in the Indian Ocean, also serving as a mating and nursery ground for many marine species. 150,000 subsistence farmers and fishers live in 95 villages along the Bay. In order to reverse decline in fish resources, since 2008 the Wildlife Conservation Society has worked with several coastal villages in the bay to establish Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMA). Each LMMA includes at least a no-tak...

UNESCO Identified Antongil Bay and North West Madagascar as Potential Marine World Heritage Sites

Views: 2974

(June 27, 2014) The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encour- age the identification, protection and preserva- tion of World Cultural and Natural Heritage around the world considered to be of Outstanding Universal Value. The first marine World Heritage site was Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, inscribed in 1981. Now there are 45 World Heritage sites listed specifically for their marine values, includ- ing many of the largest and most pristine mari...

Wildlife Conservation Society Pub- lishes First-Ever Guide to Madagas- car’s Marine Wildlife

Views: 2739

Wildlife Conservation Society Pub- lishes First-Ever Guide to Madagas- car’s Marine Wildlife

(June 27, 2014) The Wildlife Conservation Society publishes the first-ever field guide for Madagascar’s staggering marine biodiversity, which ranges from the larg- est expanse of coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean to one of the world’s largest breeding grounds for humpback whales. Madagascar sup- ports greater total marine biodiversity than any other western Indian Ocean country and is among the top 15 countries hosting the largest area of coral reefs and mangroves in the world. Madagasca...

Reef Check Campaign in Ankarea MPA

Views: 2481

Reef Check Campaign in Ankarea MPA

(June 27, 2014) Reef Check is a volunteer program to monitor the health of coral reefs using a rigorous scientific approach but adapted to be used by every volunteer, whether they are informed citizens or from scientific back- grounds. In November 2012, WCS joined a team from Reef Check France during their Reef Check campaign in Mitsio archipelago, NW Madagascar, as part of the Green Campaign funded by Quiksilver Foundation Europe. During this campaign, monitoring stations have been surveye...

PCDDBA Finalist of the UNDP Equator Prize 2012

Views: 2420

(June 26, 2014) PCDDBA is a Malagasy association created on 2003. PCDDBA's mission is to "ensure the integ- rity of the biological, ecological, socioeconomic functions of Antongil Bay and promote the sus- tainable development of its surrounding areas through consistent actions and consultations.” WCS nominated PCDDBA for the UNDP Equator Prize in 2012. The Equator Prize recognizes local initiatives that demonstrate leadership in advanc- ing innovative solutions for people, nature and res...

Madagascar’s Masoala National Park Interpretive Center Inaugurated

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Madagascar’s Masoala National Park Interpretive Center Inaugurated

(December 11, 2013) The Wildlife Conservation Society, in collabora- tion with Madagascar National Parks, designed and built a welcome center and interpretive cen- ter for the Masoala National Park, including a pa- vilion dedicated to marine conservation, along with a multipurpose classroom. This Environmen- tal Campus will become a key source of infor- mation and interpretive materials as well as serv- ing as a central meeting and training location within the region. Read more: http://www.wcs.org/press/p...

Outstanding Whale and Dolphin di- versity in Ankivonjy Marine Protect- ed Area

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Outstanding Whale and Dolphin di- versity in Ankivonjy Marine Protect- ed Area

(November 19, 2013) To increase marine protected areas (MPA) cover- age in Madagascar (to date, only 0.2% of Mada- gascar’s total marine area is protected through fully gazetted MPAs), the Wildlife Conservation Society has supported since 2010 the creation and management of three new MPAs protecting 463,100 hectares of marine hotspots along Mad- agascar West Coast: Soariake MPA in the South West and Ankarea and Ankivonjy MPAs in the North West. In 2013, WCS Ocean Giants Program Completed a second season o...

Conservationists Follow Madagascar’s Humpback Whales Via Satellite Tags For First Time

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Conservationists Follow Madagascar’s Humpback Whales Via Satellite Tags For First Time

(July 23, 2013) For the first time, humpback whales in the waters of Madagascar are being tracked via satellite in the quest to learn more about the travels of these marine mammals. During the last week of July and the first week of August, an international research team from CETAMADA (Madagascar), University of Paris (France), Instituto Aqualie (Brazil), and Wild- life Conservation Society (USA and Madagas- car) succeeded in affixing satellite tags to 12 adult whales in the waters of Saint-Marie Island...

WCS National Staff Invited to Inter- national Symposium and Training Events

Views: 2429

(June 27, 2013) In October 2013, three WCS Malagasy staffs were invited by the International Union for Con- servation of Nature, the French Marine Protected Area Agency, and the Western Indian Ocean Ma- rine Science Association (WIOMSA) to share their hands-on experience in implementing communi- ty-driven field marine conservation at the third International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC3) in Marseille and at the eighth WIOMSA Scientific Symposium in Maputo. WCS is grateful to the Prince Alber...

New Project Funded by Helmsley Charitable Trust

Views: 2753

(June 18, 2013) The Masoala National Park (a World Heritage site), Makira Natural Park, and Antongil Bay comprise the epicenter of Madagascar's unique biodiversity. Known as MaMaBay, this land/seascape encompasses more than one million hectares of land and sea in the north- eastern region of the country and contains the largest remaining tract of pristine eastern rainforest in Madagascar as well as man- groves and coral reef habitats along Antongil Bay, Madagascar's largest bay and world- famous as...

New Project Funded by The European Union

Views: 2392

(June 11, 2013) In October 2012, WCS in partnership with GRET (a French development NGO), PCDDBA (a local association) and Madagascar National Parks, started a new project funded by the European Union, whose objective is to con- tribute to food security and poverty reduction for effective preservation of natural resources in and around the Mananara National Park (NE Madagascar). The proposed action will contribute to improved livelihoods and resil- ience of vulnerable populations living in pe- ripheral areas of...

CITES Makes Historic Decision to Protect Sharks and Rays

Views: 2943

CITES Makes Historic Decision to Protect Sharks and Rays

(March 14, 2013) The Convention on International Trade in Endan- gered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) plenary on March 14 2013 accepted Committee recommendations to list five species of highly traded sharks under the CITES Appendices, along with those for the listing of both manta rays and one species of sawfish. This vote is a first, critical step in working to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of shark and ray species, a quarter of which are threatened with extinction w...

'Wicked' Problems Devastate the Grand Récif of Toliara

Views: 3136

(January 15, 2013) A new study co-authored by the Wildlife Conservation Society assesses the magnitude of the changes and evaluates the causes of reef degradation of the Grand Récif of Toliara which stretches about 19km off south- west Madagascar. It was regarded previously as hav- ing the richest biodiversity system in the Indian Ocean, with more than 6000 species identified in the 1960s, and has been highly degraded since the 1980s. Human population growth and migration, over- fishing,...

The Three Largest Locally Managed Marine Protected Areas of the Western Indian Ocean Now Have Management Plans

Views: 3691

The Three Largest Locally Managed Marine Protected Areas of the Western Indian Ocean Now Have Management Plans

(December 29, 2012) Madagascar’s Exclusive Economic Zone covers over 1,140,000 square kilometers of marine habitats, twice the area of the island. The length of the coast of Madagascar is about 6000 km, which represents nearly a third of the coastline of all countries of the Western Indian Ocean combined.Madagascar is the country that hosts the second largest area of man- groves and the largest area of coral reefs in the West- ern Indian Ocean. The Island’s coastal habitats, spe- cifically...

How Effective Are the Four Oldest Marine Parks in Madagascar?

Views: 2826

(December 16, 2012) For the last 10 years a coral reef monitoring program has been active in the northeast to assess the management effectiveness of the four oldest national marine parks of Mada- gascar (Tampolo, Masoala, Tanjona and Nosy Antafana). This is a collaborative program between WCS and Madagascar National Parks (MNP). WCS provided several SCUBA diving and reef monitoring protocol training to MNP field staff of the four marine parks. Also, each year a joint WCS-MNP reef monitoring cam- paign is c...

Evidence for Decline in Dugong Populations on the West Coast of Madagascar

Views: 3009

(December 12, 2012) Interview surveys with Malagasy fishers, aimed at gathering traditional knowledge and information on hunting and by-catch of all marine mammals, were conducted in 58 vil- lages in 13 locations along the west coast by the WCS Ocean Giants team, during five dif- ferent expeditions between 2008 and 2011. There were a total of 533 reports of dugongs spread across 6 decades, with 318 reports of ‘hunting’, 110 reported ‘by-caught’, 101 re- ported sighted ‘live&rs...

Important observation of Blue Whales in Madagascar

Views: 3412

(December 11, 2012) Coastal dolphins and other large marine vertebrates were assessed in the Nosy Iranja and Ampasindava peninsula region (Ankivonjy MPA) and in the waters of Nosy Be during November and December 2012 by the WCS Ocean Giants team. During the 36-day expedition, 132 hours of surveys were conducted in Ankivonjy MPA and 118 hours around Nosy Be. Ten species of cetaceans were sighted in 58 groups during the surveys (nine species in Ankivonjy alone). Among the Mysticetes (large baleen whal...

Corals and Food Security

Views: 3068

Corals and Food Security

(December 05, 2012) Study Shows Nations at Risk, ScienceDaily, October 17, 2012. A new study co-authored by the Wildlife Conserva- tion Society identifies countries, including Madagas- car, most vulnerable to declining coral reef fisheries from a food-security perspective. "The study identi- fies countries where climate change is likely to be felt first by threatening people that depend on fish- eries," said the study's co-author Tim McClanahan of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "These coun- tries are prio...

Deforestation Is Killing Madagascar's Coral Reefs

Views: 2982

(September 05, 2012) Sediment carried by rivers draining deforested areas in Madagascar is smothering local coral reefs, increas- ing the incidence of disease and suppressing growth, report two new studies published in the journals Bio- geosciences and Marine Pollution Bulletin. The first study, co-authored by the Wildlife Conservation Soci- ety, looked specifically at coral communities in An- tongil Bay, located in northeastern Madagascar, while the second included data from Western Madagascar. Results from ...

Government of Madagascar Reaches Milestone with Creation of Nation’s Largest Protected Area

Views: 2588

(August 17, 2012) The Wildlife Conservation Society applauds the government of Madagascar for recently creating Makira Natural Park, now the island nation’s largest pro- tected area and home to the highest diversity of lemur species on the planet. Located in northeastern Madagascar, Makira Natural Park contains the coun- try’s largest swath of rainforest in an area covering 372,470 hectares. It is estimated that Makira, the adjacent Masoala National Park, and the rest of the Antongil Bay watershed tog...

Establishment of the Analanjirofo ICZM Committee

Views: 2587

(July 29, 2012) WCS is leading the implementation of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) approach in Antongil Bay in which local com- munities and social conventions are integral parts. Specifically, in 2003 we facilitated the creation of a local association, the Platform for Collaborative Sustainable Development in Antongil Bay (Plateforme de Concertation pour le Développement Durable de la Baie d'Antongil, PCDDBA) and, in 2008, a commu- nity-driven resource zoning plan for the 32 communes ...

International Coral Reef Symposium and International Coral Reef Ini- tiative General Meeting

Views: 2780

(July 25, 2012) Bemahafaly RANDRIAMANANTSOA from WCS, participated to the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) and the 27th Gen- eral Meeting of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) in July 2012 in Australia thanks to travel grants from ISLANDS and United Nations Environment Programme. ICRS 2012 was a quadrennial meeting of the coral reef science community. The scientific program showcased the latest in coral reef research and demonstrated how scientific knowledge contributes to t...

Community-exchange Visits and First Madagascar LMMA Forum

Views: 2931

Community-exchange Visits and First Madagascar LMMA Forum

(June 20, 2012) In June 2012, WCS arranged a study tour in southwest Madagascar (Toliara seascape), with visits in Soariake and Velondriake MPAs villages, for sixteen members of Ankivonjy and Anakarea MPAs local management com- mittees (NW Madagascar), to promote infor- mation sharing and peer-to-peer learning exchanges between communities involved in the sustainable management of their marine resources. Some of these participants joined supporting partners and community repre- sentatives of local...

Study Tour to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia

Views: 3449

(May 21, 2012) In May 2012, Bemahafaly Randriamanantsoa, WCS Madagascar Marine Operations Coordi- nator, along with other coral reef scientists and conservationists from the Western Indian Ocean, participated in a study tour to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) in Townsville (Queensland) in Aus- tralia, arranged by ISLANDS, a project of the Indian Ocean Commission financed by the European Union. The study tour to Australia provided significant benefits to the partici- pants thr...

Tahosoa and Soariake General Meetings

Views: 3225

(May 16, 2012) One of the biggest reef complexes in the world extends 458 km between An- droaka and Morombe in southwest Madagascar. Pressure on this seascape has increased dramatically in recent years with a continuing increase in the number of people living in the region, increasing market demand for marine products and climate change impacts. WCS’s overall objective in Toliara is to improve fisheries management and promote conservation measures that are essential for the survival o...

Formalization of Ankarea and Ankivonjy Marine Protected Areas Local Management Committees

Views: 4289

(April 24, 2012) Nosy Be Seascape in northwest Madagascar, is part of the center of marine biodiversity of the Western Indian Ocean. The coral ecosystems of northwest Madagascar have excep- tional value in terms of biodiversity, with high coral cover, a high number of coral species and high resilience to climate change. Throughout the year, whale sharks, dugongs, and healthy and abundant populations of small coastal cetace- ans and marine turtles live in this seascape. The main threats to this excep...

Assessment of Dugongs in Antongil Bay

Views: 3028

(April 19, 2012) The dugong is a seagrass-dependant marine mammal found in tropical and subtropical coastal wa- ters. Although dugongs occur in over 40 countries, most of these are developing economies with limited capacity to contain impacts on dugongs within sustainable levels, and population declines and local extinction have been reported for a number of areas within their range. As a signatory of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats thro...

Fight Against Destructive Illegal Fishing Practices

Views: 3056

(April 19, 2012) Antongil Bay is the largest bay in Madagascar and is among the most productive in the Indian Ocean, serving as a mating and nursery ground for many marine species. In the early 2000s, the beach seine was introduced in the Bay and in recent years its use has increased. Beach seines are very fine mesh nets that are deployed in shallow waters, where they catch everything in their path, including young and juvenile fish and shrimp. As a result, they have been shown to cause severe depletio...

Formalization of Six New LMMAs

Views: 2864

(April 11, 2012) Antongil Bay, in northeast Madagascar, contains many marine habitats: estuaries, mangroves, rocky shores, coral reefs, and seagrass beds facing threats from high fishing pressure and illegal fishing, depletion of mangrove forests, sedimentation from terrestrial run- off, and petroleum industry exploration. To protect those critical habitats the Marine National Park of Nosy Antafana was created in 1989 (1,000 ha), three marine protected areas, within the Masoala National...

PCDDBA Study Tour

Views: 3574

PCDDBA Study Tour

(March 18, 2012) Increasing engagement of local communities in holistic ecosystem management is essential to long- term sustainable conservation efforts. Supporting good governance and increased local management capacity is critical to sustaining this process. In order for PCDDBA to achieve organizational sustain- ability and become more effective advocates for local issues, a study tour in Antananarivo, Fi- anarantsoa and Fenerive Est was organized from February 19 to March 7, 201...

Mitigate Artisanal Hunting Pressure on Coastal Dolphins

Views: 2795

(February 14, 2012) In southwest Madagascar traditional Vezo fishermen opportunistically hunt coastal dolphins for local consumption and sale of meat. Initially, a single community (Anakao and surrounding villages) was identified as practicing a drive hunt on pods of spinner, Indo- Pacific bottlenose and Indo- Pacific humpback dolphins. Through a series of workshops and conservation actions since 2007, WCS facilitated the establishment of the commu- nity-based Anakao Association for the Protection ...

Coral Disease Associated with Bleaching in Madagascar

Views: 2592

(January 10, 2012) Analysis of remote sensing images from satel- lites indicated that sea surface temperatures were increasing in early 2012 north of Madagas- car in the so-called WIO “coral triangle”. A task force was thus mobilised to undertake the sur- veys and sampling needed to assess the extent of coral bleaching in the affected area. Justin Hart from the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in South Africa joined this task force to assess, with the assistance of WCS, l...

WCS Research Findings in the Press

Views: 2397

(December 26, 2011) Leader surged to curb climate vulnerability , Eco Voice, December, 2011. In a new scientific paper and book, leading marine re- searchers Dr. Josh Cinner of the ARC Centre of Excel- lence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University, and Tim McClanahan of the Wildlife Conservation Society propose a novel framework for helping millions of people most at risk to cope with massive changes in their jobs, lives, and environment driven by the warming climate. Based on a study of 1500 house...

International Coral Reef Initiative General Meeting

Views: 2557

(December 20, 2011) WCS Madagascar shared lessons learned from its climate change and coral reef conservation pro- gram to the 26th General Meeting of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). ICRI is a part- nership among governments, international organizations, and non-government organizations. It strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems. The third General Meeting under the French-Samoan co-secretariat was held from the 12-15 December 2011, in La Réunion. In a...

Madagascar to Develop Fisheries Strategy

Views: 2758

(December 19, 2011) Madagascar is leading the way among Indian Ocean countries by developing a national policy on marine fisheries which takes into account the principles of good governance. The Wildlife Conservation Society is a member of the Ma- rine NGO Platform which is chairing one of the four commissions that have been established to support the process of developing this strategy. Read more: http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16638/madagascar-to-develop- fisheries-strategy

Two WCS Field Staff Graduate with Master’s Degrees

Views: 2714

(December 19, 2011) Congratulations to Bebe Jean RAHARINOSY and Toky VOAJANAHARY, WCS Toliara seascape field staff, who recently graduated from Toliara University – IHSM (Madagascar Fishery and Marine Sci- ence Institute). They successfully defended they Master degree theses in December 2011. Bebe Jean’s and Toky’s research theses focused on community based management of marine resources in southwest Madagascar.

WCS Madagascar Marine strategic planning workshop

Views: 2607

WCS Madagascar Marine strategic planning workshop

(November 20, 2011) From November 16th to 19th a strategic planning workshop was held in Antananarivo with most of the staff of WCS Madagascar Marine Program and with the assistance of two representa- tives from WCS Headquarters in New York. The objectives of the workshop were to initiate the development of synoptic plans for each Madagascar seas- cape, strengthen the links be- tween Madagascar Ocean Giant and Seascape Programs and build capacities of Madagascar Marine staff.

7th WIOMSA scientific symposium

Views: 2888

7th WIOMSA scientific symposium

(October 01, 2011) From October 24th to 29th the biannual WIOMSA Scientific Symposium was held in Mombasa. WIOMSA is a regional professional, non-profit, membership organization, established in 1993, dedicated to promoting the educational, scientific and technological development of all aspects of marine sciences throughout the western Indian Ocean region. Four staff from WCS Madagascar Marine Program attended this symposium and delivered two oral and one poster presentations: Ecological impacts of Masoala marin...

Communication campaign on Salary Bay MPA

Views: 3409

Communication campaign on Salary Bay MPA

(September 01, 2011) WCS is supporting the implementation of Salary Bay MPA. In order to raise awareness on sustain- able fishery management and increase local community empowerment in the implementation of the MPA several outreach activities were con- ducted. These included the organization in Octo- ber 2011 of the festival “Tontolo andriake voaa- ro lovasoa tsy lany” (“protected marine world, inexhaustible legacy”). In September 2011, local theater groups developed and produced a play in...

Mitigate artisanal hunting pressure on coastal dolphins

Views: 2747

Mitigate artisanal hunting pressure on coastal dolphins

(September 01, 2011) In the southwest of Madagascar, traditional Vezo fishermen opportunistically hunt coastal dolphins for local consumption and sale of meat. Interviews of fishermen from the village of Anakao conducted sug- gest that over 6,000 dolphins were slaughtered be- tween 1985 and 2000, 57% of this occurring after 1995. Since 2007, community outreach work has been implemented to address this issue. In Septem- ber and October 2011, a series of consultations were conducted successively in the municip...

Communication campaign on Ankarea and Ankivonjy MPAs

Views: 2768

Communication campaign on Ankarea and Ankivonjy MPAs

(September 01, 2011) The awareness campaign on the process of estab- lishing Ankivonjy and An- karea MPAs use several communication tools such as: presentations during regional festivals, produc- tion of video and audio documentaries on the two MPAs, their weekly local radio and TV broadcasting, and village meetings

Scientific assessment of Ankarea and Ankivonjy MPAs

Views: 3108

Scientific assessment of Ankarea and Ankivonjy MPAs

(September 01, 2011) Another key step in the process of establishment of two resilient MPAs was taken when scientific baseline studies were conducted in November 2011. These studies included ecological and so- cial vulnerability assessments in order to identify relevant adaptive responses to climate change impacts within the design and man- agement plans of each MPA. During three weeks 6 national scientists (from WCS, IHSM, CNRO, Conservation International, and Antsira- nana University) and 4 oversea sc...

Creation of Ankarea and Ankivonjy MPAs Local Management Com- mittees

Views: 2730

Creation of Ankarea and Ankivonjy MPAs Local Management Com- mittees

(September 01, 2011) In the process of establishment of a Marine Protected Area, the integration of all stakeholders is akeyto success.Thus, in the area of thetwo MPAs Ankivonjy (new name ofIranja Ankazoberavina-baie des Russes MPA) and Ankarea (new name ofNosyMitsio Tsarabanjina MPA), the identification and preliminarydiscussions with all stakeholders andusers have been conducted. Then representa-tives for each newly created MPA Local Management Committee were elected in SeptemberandOctober 2011. Tr...

Fight against destructive illegal fishing practices

Views: 3903

Fight against destructive illegal fishing practices

(September 01, 2011) Since April of this year WCS has overseen the creation of five new coastal survey commit- tees around Antongil Bay. These community based committees are the front lines of defense against destructive and unsustainable resource management techniques. In collaboration with the National Survey Fishing Center (CSP), the committees enforce state regulations of fishing gear including those against ramikaoka or the practice of beach seine netting (where materials originally dispensed by the governme...