Expanding and consolidating Madagascar’s Marine Protected Areas network

Madagascar supports rich coral diversity and numerous marine and coastal species. Fish stocks support local livelihoods, and also represent an important sector within the national economy. To conserve Madagascar’s marine resources from threats that include habitat destruction and unsustainable fishing practices, the president of Madagascar committed to tripling the number of marine protected areas at the IUCN Park Congress in Sydney—thereby contributing to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi Target #11. The GEF project “Expanding and Consolidating Madagascar’s Marine Protected Areas Network” is working to fulfill this commitment and strengthen the management of the country’s Marine Protected Areas and fisheries resources. Ministries have come together to support the project and its goals. Through this cooperation and strong interest from the president, the project will safeguard Madagascar’s marine resources into the future.