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Reuniting Intercontinental Shores across Nusantara and Andavadoaka

A reflection on the cross-regional learning trip between partners from Asia and Madagascar

By Blue Ventures

June 27^th, 2025

More than a thousand years ago, seafarers from Nusantara, the ancient name for Southeast Asia’s archipelago, navigated the vast Indian Ocean to reach Madagascar in search of trade. This year, the historic journey echoed across the same ocean as a new kind of voyage unfolded — one not of trade but of shared learning and solidarity.

Reuniting Intercontinental Shores across Nusantara and Andavadoaka

In April, twelve representatives from seven of Blue Ventures’ Asian community-based partners set foot on Madagascar’s shoreline for the first time. Representatives from Ecosystem Impact and Yayasan Citra Mandiri Mentawai (YCMM) in western Indonesia, Forum Kahedupa Toudani (FORKANI), Komunitas Nelayan Wangi-wangi (Komanangi), Tananua Flores, and Yayasan Nusa Bahari Lestari (Sahari) in the east, and People and the Sea from the Philippines joined together to take the journey.

Though thousands of miles from home, these sea champions were bound by a shared mission: to engage in a meaningful cross-continental dialogue on strengthening the role of communities and fishers in coastal resource management.

We are all like half-empty glasses,” said Hasanuddin from FORKANI, “Ready to share and absorb knowledge from our Malagasy kin.”

For many, the exchange marked their first time travelling abroad.. Guided by a vision for stronger, more resilient fishing communities, they reached Andavadoaka, a remote coastal village on Madagascar’s southwestern shore, where Blue Ventures’ journey first set sail.

Onwards to the group’s first stop in Toliara, where foundations were laid. At the Blue Ventures office, the Madagascar team shared how their programmes, spanning the country’s southwestern coastline, link science, community leadership, and policy.

The fishing communities of Ambatomilo, part of the Manjaboake Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA), and Andavadoaka, part of the Velondriake Marine Protected Area (MPA)—Madagascar’s first and largest collaborative LMMA association—brought these lessons to life. Participants observed how the communities' ownership of fisheries and coastal habitat data enables informed decision-making and provides a foundation for autonomy in managing marine resources.

Coastal fisheries management has become more effective as we integrate data with Dina, or local wisdom, across the 33 member villages of the Velondriake Association,” said Gilde Tahindraza, Madagascar Southwest Regional Manager of Blue Ventures.

Dina are community-agreed fishing regulations that, once standardised by the Velondriake Association and approved by the Toliara court, become legally binding bylaws.

Beyond the mechanics of data for decision-making, the group also witnessed the impact of BV’s work with the communities over the past two decades. Sustainable, data-driven fisheries management and the protection of blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves and seagrass have led to ecological restoration, tangible improvements in livelihoods, and a stronger sense of collective management by the communities.

“It is common to hear that community-led conservation can change both nature and people,” said Evangeline Faburada from the People and the Sea in the Philippines. “My organisation is working on something, but the community has shown that it truly works here, giving me hope.”

Meaningful discussion also emerged during a session on financial inclusion at the community centre in Andavadoaka. In an intimate setting, participants listened as household representatives and micro-business owners spoke about savings groups, small loans and the freedom they offered. The community demonstrated how these aren't just economic tools but stepping stones to autonomy, dignity, and futures they could now plan for.

As the exchange drew to a close, the BV team brought everyone together one final time. In reflection circles, participants translated lessons learned from the exchange into concrete actions aligned with Blue Ventures’ programmatic pillars. Subsequently, they identified the skills and support they needed to realise them.

What we saw in Andavadoaka wasn’t just about marine conservation,” said Noni Tuharea from Sahari. “It was about local people taking the lead in managing the sea they depend on. It showed us that, with time and support, coastal communities in Indonesia can also grow this kind of local stewardship of the sea.”

Despite language, culture, and geographical landscape differences, the participants found a powerful truth: the challenges they face in sustaining coastal livelihoods and restoring marine ecosystems are deeply familiar across the vast ocean. This exchange grew into more than just sharing knowledge—it became a forging of solidarity among sea stewards.

For every participant, it was a reminder that the future of our oceans depends not on grand gestures but on connections forged between communities, from Nusantara to Andavadoaka and beyond.

Footnotes

Story by Yoga Putra | Photos by Yoga Putra, Megan Francis, Emilio de la Rosa | Blue Ventures, 2025. | This learning visit was funded by The Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA).

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FootNotes

Story by Yoga Putra | Photos by Yoga Putra, Megan Francis, Emilio de la Rosa | Blue Ventures, 2025. | This learning visit was funded by The Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA).

Madagascar to Kenya

Reuniting Intercontinental Shores across Nusantara and Andavadoaka

A reflection on the cross-regional learning trip between partners from Asia and Madagascar

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FootNotes

Peer-to-peer learning for sustainable fisheries

Community actions for a sustainable future

Harnessing data for better returns on the East African coast

May 3rd, 2024

November 30th, 2023

November 2nd, 2023

May 3^rd, 2024

November 30^th, 2023

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