by Mathieu-Célien Ramasiarisolo, Madagascar, July 1997
THEME = ECONOMY
The law of the sea covering the maritime world is obsolete. And yet all sailors, be they fishermen or merchant mariners, have to follow these laws which no longer have any meaning in this present day and age.
Take for example self-employed fishermen. They live in traditional communities whose populations are mostly illiterate. They have to work in a sea and coastal environment which is in the process of irreversible decline. Their livelihood is now in danger, and this is accentuated by internal squabbling and disputes between self-employed and industrial fishermen - disputes which give the cold shoulder to the present law of the sea.
There's not much in the way of coordination between the fishery service as a whole and the aquaculture services. Also, a strange phenomenon: fishermen are migrating to the urban centres and setting up small "informal" businesses, whereas people living in the interior of Madagascar, are migrating to the coastal regions to take up traditional fishing.
Madagascar has 1,655 registered sailors (220 officers and 835 ordinary seamen) in its merchant navy, and 580 registered fishermen (107 officers and 473 ordinary seamen) in the off-shore fishing industry. The only training centre along the Indian Ocean coast for training officers for fishing and sea-going navigation, is the National School of Maritime Training (ENEM), situated in the port town of Mahajanga.
According to Info-Pêche, in 1995, 120,150 tonnes of sea fish were caught in our territorial waters, 80% of which were for domestic consumption and the rest (24,000 tonnes) for export.
Researchers at the National Centre for Oceanographic Research (CNRO) reckon that self-employed fishermen's catches are decreasing; the same applies to industrial fishermen. Why?
1) Not much is known about present stocks, so no encouragement can be given to fishermen in their work, 2) There's an unhealthy policy when it comes to granting fishing licences. A large number of industrial fishermen ignore restrictions and, especially, they continue to fish in areas forbidden to industrial fishing. 3) The fishery-control services are quite prepared to accept under-the-counter payments and close their eyes to irregularities and illegal activities. In truth, a "mafia" in high places!
Malagasy experts know what's going on and can see for themselves how, year after year, day after day, certain people are hell-bent on destroying our maritime resources and our maritime ecology. But the experts' damming reports and statements seem to have had no effect. Nothing is changing. And so, on we go, doing everything we can to hasten the day when there will be no fish left in our territorial waters!
Experts have noted that maritime habitats are being destroyed, especially the mangroves. Shellfish and other commercial species develop among the mangroves. Destroying the mangroves also means that the coral reefs are in danger and these reefs shelter many maritime species of high value.
All this means that Madagascar's maritime ecology is heading for an irreversible upset. i.e. trouble is looming for those species which are deprived of their natural habitats so necessary for their reproduction and development.
If realistic and effective measures are not taken, our sea-water resources will quickly disappear. An all-embracing policy must be devised so as to guarantee food, employment, local and national revenue.
It could be that in a short time to come, we shall be obliged to re-stock our territorial waters. And this could bring with it problems relating to the quality of the fish introduced and to consumers' health.
In Madagascar, a research team is going to take a keen interest in the maritime world. But there is a problem relating to finding adequate financial and material means to carry out this enormous programme. Also, politics have entered upon the scene, and this constitutes a major obstacle for Madagascar's development.
The above is only part of the problems effecting Madagascar's maritime world. Problems which are so important for a country like Madagascar which is an island!
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