Views: 2924 | 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 Park covering 10,000 ha were established in 1997, the Andreba Protected Area, protecting 32 ha of coastal habitats was given temporary protection status starting in January 2007, and between 2009 and 2011, seven LMMAs (locally managed marine
areas) were established and formalized through DINA (local traditional law). In April 2012, the Executive Secretary of the Analanjirofo Regional Authority chaired the ceremony forming four new LMMAs within the District of Mananara. Two other newly formalized LMMAs were created within the District of Maroantse- tra. The addition of these six new LMMAs brings the current number of locally managed marine areas es- tablished in Antongil Bay to thirteen with a total re- served area of around 3270 ha.