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Opening Day

The story of the annual Indian mackerel fishery closure in northwest Madagascar

By Blue Ventures

July 9^th, 2019

Hope

As dawn breaks on the island of Nosy Faly in Tsimipaika Bay, northwest Madagascar, the first rays of sun illuminate the hulls of fishing boats lining the beaches in the village of Antafiambotry.

A tranquil scene, but this day promises to be anything but calm; it’s the opening day of the mahaloky (Indian mackerel) fishery, following a three-month closure.

For the last week, the village has been a hive of activity with families working together to prepare their boats and nets for the first day’s fishing.

Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day

This morning, full of hope and anticipation, fishers rose well before the sun to finish their preparations. The strengthening light reveals scores of boats, piled high with neatly folded nets, and there’s barely any space left on the beach for latecomers.

As the rest of the community begins to gather, the excitement in the air is palpable. A sea change from the recent past, when hope for the mahaloky fishery was in short supply...

Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day

A question of survival

The importance of the mahaloky fishery for villages like Antafiambotry cannot be understated. Fishing is not just a cultural identity but also the primary source of income for the majority of families, and the mahaloky fishery is the second most important in the region in terms of landed biomass.

Historically, the area around Nosy Faly was known as a place where good catches were guaranteed – Antafiambotry literally translates to ‘landing place of boats’ – but in recent years the mahaloky fishery has been facing increasing pressure from exponential population growth, migration to the coast, and a rise in destructive and industrial-scale fishing practices.

“I remember when I was younger our catch was plentiful, but today we only catch half of what we used to.” - Bernardin, a fisherman from Tsimipaika Bay

Opening Day

Opening Day

Photo: Garth Cripps | Blue Ventures

A solution?

In 2003, mahaloky catches and revenues in Tsimipaika Bay were plummeting. Boats once laden with fish would return to their villages with meagre catches; barely enough to feed the fishers’ families, let alone enough to sell. People were worried for their futures and for their children’s futures. Something needed to be done.

The community of Antafiambotry decided to close their mahaloky fishery for two months on an annual basis to let fish populations recover – a management strategy known as a temporary fishery closure. This closure was added to the dina [community-based law] and then ratified at the district government’s office.

“Many people were initially sceptical of the closure, but afterwards, once they had witnessed the positive impact it had on their total yearly income, they supported it.” - Omar Moustakim, a fisherman from Antafiambotry

Opening Day

By 2007, encouraged by the results of the first few closures, the Antafiambotry community decided to increase the closure length to three months.

“Those of us who don’t have land for farming will fish other species during the closure. We practice line-fishing and try to find some larger fish when we can’t fish for mahaloky. It only earns a very small income compared to the rest of the year, but we need to respect the closure to prevent the disappearance of this fishery from our village.” - Silvio, a fisherman from Antafiambotry

By 2011, the positive impact of this management technique on Antafiambotry’s mahaloky fishery convinced the regional government of its efficacy. They proceeded to extend Antafiambotry’s closure to cover the entire Diana region of northwest Madagascar, a coastline of over 900 km!

Opening Day

Not plain sailing...

The regional government invited fishers from Antafiambotry to advocate for the closure extension in other villages across the region. They had experienced the positive impacts of their own closure and could share the techniques they’d developed for coping during the closure period.

“It’s true that the months during which we can’t fish for mahaloky are long, but we have found work cultivating rice in the meantime, and we buy our food supplies (like rice and beans) for these three months in advance. It’s also a good opportunity to repair our boats and nets.” - Gamal Ahmed, fisherman and president of the Antafiambotry community association

Opening Day

Opening Day

However, despite the best efforts of Antafiambotry, most villages within Tsimipaika Bay were not properly consulted on the regional closure decision, and many fishers have no knowledge of its potential benefits.

Understandably, these communities feel no sense of ownership of this management strategy and continue to fish for mahaloky during the closure period. There are also many fishing families without the necessary financial security or alternative livelihoods to observe the closure.

Opening Day

2019: celebrating the eighth opening

Back on the beach in Antifiambotry, everyone is hoping that these problems won’t significantly impact their catches today. The armada of fishing boats departs, leaving their families waiting for them on the beach, chatting in an anxious but cautiously festive atmosphere with music playing loudly in the background.

Opening Day

Opening Day

Thankfully they were right to be hopeful. Just two hours later, the first fishers begin to return, their boats full of mahaloky!

Opening Day

While fishing out to sea is still mainly carried out by men, clearing the boats and preparing the fish for sale is a family affair. Across the beach, women and children help with the meticulous task of taking the mahaloky out of the nets one by one, gutting them and throwing them into large baskets ready for sale.

Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day

Once the full scale of the catches is evident, the mood in the village turns from hopeful to fully celebratory. Fish collectors equipped with cool boxes full of ice have come from far and wide to buy the catches; from the nearby town of Ambanja, from Antsiranana which lies 300 kilometres away, and even from the Sava region – a full day’s drive to the east.

Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day

Everyone agrees that this year’s catches are even better than opening day last year.

“Last year quite a few boats came back empty or with very small catches, while this year I could only see one single boat with a really small catch. And the boats filled and came back so quickly! We have more and bigger fish, and this is despite all the people who have joined us from neighbouring regions.” - Harson, a fisherman from Antafiambotry

One boat caught so many fish that it almost entirely sank! Initial concern for the safety of the fishers was replaced with joy and laughter as the boat was pushed the last few hundred metres back to the village.

“Do not worry. They have fish, so they are happy! There is never a problem if they have fish.” - a fisherwoman from Antafiambotry

Opening Day

Hear the perspective of Said, the Deputy Mayor of Antafiambotry:

Looking forward

The whole community gathered at the official mahaloky fishery opening event to listen to speeches from Abdul Bastui, the Mayor of Antafiambotry, Edmond Ramadan, the Regional President of the MIHARI Network of locally managed marine areas (LMMAs), and Yvette Soajara, the Deputy Chief of the Ambanja District.

The closure success was celebrated, and the overall mood was joyful, but many of Antafiambotry’s fishers also expressed their frustrations about closure enforcement. Omar Moustakim, the chosen representative for the fishers of Antafiambotry, spoke of their disappointment that the authorities had taken no action, despite knowing that the closure was not respected by certain communities.

“How is it possible that mahaloky is being sold at the market in Ambanja during the temporary closure?” he asked.

Mrs Yvette Soajara Patine

Mr Edmond Ramadan

Opening Day

However, local officials feel increased enforcement is not likely to have the desired effect on its own.

“If we find people with mahaloky on them, they will always claim that they bought it from somebody else, and we cannot keep them at the police station,” explained Arthur Rakotondrafara of the local fisheries authorities. “When we plan patrols on the sea, communication leaks very quickly, and illegal fishers always know in advance that we are coming, or they fish at night instead.”

These kinds of problems are symptomatic of fishery management initiatives that are implemented without the full engagement or support of the communities involved.

Following this year’s closure, community leaders from across the Diana region decided that next year’s official opening ceremony will be held in the village of Ambiky. Fishers from Ambiky have continued to catch mahaloky throughout previous closures, but many of them witnessed the success of this year’s opening day in Antafiambotry, and there is a growing desire within the community to give the closure a chance.

There is now hope that more boats will be sunk with mahaloky next year!

Opening Day

Footnotes

Text by Cécile Schneider and Leah Glass | Photos by Leah Glass

FootNotes

Text by Cécile Schneider and Leah Glass | Photos by Leah Glass

© 2026 Blue Ventures

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