By
Toky Rasolomanana |
Views: 3513 | 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 man-aged pens. This first stage aimed at assessing if the selected site was conducive for sea cucumber growth and longevity in pens. The results were conclusive and WCS is now working with IOT and the local community of Andravona to set up larg-er pens that will allow the community to diversify their livelihoods to reduce pressure on marine re-sources.