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Official Creation of the Fishermens Association FIMIHARA May 2007
Nov 16, 2008
Since early 2005 ReefDoctor has been helping the villages of Ifaty and Mangily understand how their practices affect the availability of their resources, begin exploring ways to improving fishing catches by using more sustainable methods and alternative usages of their marine ecosystem.
By late 2006 in a meeting with over 60 locals representing the main families and village elders and Presidents from these two villages it was agreed that the two villages should jointly create an association to undertake projects, help enforce rules and regulations and thus empowering themselves to protect and manage their own resources and environment. President of Ifaty, Bruno said: “We need to look to the future and manage our fishing effort to ensure that we are making the most of the resources that we have.”
However with ReefDoctors continued collaboration building with other NGO and governmental Organisations and with further meeting and workshops with the Ifaty and Mangily villagers by the end of 2006, it was decided to bring all the villages in the Bay into this one association as all villages utilise the resources from the same lagoon reef system.
After a further 6 months of presentations, discussions, meetings, workshops and rapport establishment in late May the villages of the Bay where ready to come together and elect a board of directors to represent them in this new Association. Over 100 people representing the 14 main villages in the Bay of Ranobe came to ReefDoctors to hold the elections alongside Dr. Edaly the Director of the Direction Regional du Development Rural, Dr. Chrystophe the Director of the Ministry of Fisheries of Toliara, SAGE (Service d’Appui Gestion de l’Environnement) the IHSM (Marine Institute of Madagascar) and some Hotel owners.
The villagers present voted for one president, two vice presidents, two secretaries and one treasurer for the main board. Alongside them will be the members of a series of commissions to carry forward the work of the association with two people elected per commissions for; maintenance, security and materials; control; community projects; information and communication; technical and science (science commission mainly run by ReefDoctor with techniques to be taught to local fishermen/women to undertake).
This new fishermen’s association is called FIMIHARA (FIambanana MIaro sy HAnasoa ny RAnomasina) which means Association for the Protection and Conservation of the Ocean. The main objectives of FIMIHARA are as follows :
• Provide a voice for all who have an interest in the future of the Bay of Ranobe
• Improve the quality of life of those who live and work along the Bay of Ranobe
• Work together to conserve marine and terrestrial natural resources for future generations
• Improve knowledge and understanding of the natural environment for all
However due to limited finances to visit all the villages in the Bay and to cover the costs for more people to come to these elections from other villages the main board has a majority of its members from Ifaty and Mangily though it does have representatives of 5 other villages in the Bay. ReefDoctor hopes to continue its expansion of work with the other villages in the Bay through FIMIHARA and its joint activities and in a years time hold new elections for the Board with more community involvement and representation. This is the first time in the history of the Bay that these communities have come together under one banner to protect and manager their environment and resources which needs a new way of thinking and understanding by the local population which will take time to achieve. But with this new association and involvement of more and more people of the Bay together we can spread the message and empower more people to take hold and protect their futures.
After the elections the association FIMIHARA was officially created and recognised by the Local, Regional and National governments on the 7th June 2007.
The associations first tasks will be to put measures and practises in place for the management and dispersal of funds from the planned marine reserve to be set up around the Rose Garden, the first community protected area in the Bay of Ranobe.
The association already has a number of additional projects to start working on after the Rose garden in the wider bay: octopus fishery management, banning beach seine fishing, setting up an association of pirogue tourist operators, more reef sites protected, training forest guides and artisanal product development and marketing.
ReefDoctor will continue to help FIMIHARA undertake administrative procedures such as running and recording meetings, setting up and running bank accounts, creating funding budgets and financial audits and to provide advice, funding and support such as staff time and transport and encouraging broader more strategic thinking. To be finally in a few years time a self sufficient, community controlled association with the people, Malagasy scientists and scientists from ReefDoctor and outside, all working towards a more sustainable yet developing future.
