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Two new FADS to be placed
ReefDoctor will be placing two Fish Aggregating Devices on the exterior of the Lagoon
Jun 16, 2007
Satellite image showing the location of the FADs to the south of the South Pass
A FAD is a Fish Aggregating Device. It aggregates fish as they are attracted to the shelter provided by the FAD. FADs do not increase the numbers of fish in the sea but aggregate them into one place so they are easier to fish. The purpose of the FADs here in the Bay of Ranobe is to help to reduce the high fishing pressure within the lagoon.
It is hoped that the FADs will encourage more people to venture to the exterior to fish. The people living in the coastal areas of South-West Madagascar belong to the Vezo tribe. Vezo are by tradition skilled sea-farers and totally dependent on the sea. They often have small pirogues (dug-out canoes) with rice sacks sewn together for sails and the majority of them do all their fishing within the lagoon.
Over the last few years there has been a huge rise in population, Madagascar has one of the highest birth-rates in the world. There is also a migration of people from inland to the coast. As a result there are now more and more fishermen in the area. The lagoon where most of them fish is a shallow, sheltered area and a home for many juvenile fish. The exterior offers the chance for fishermen to catch different species of fish, including larger pelagic species. Our aim is that the FADs will attract some pelagic species and prove successful.
The FADs will be managed by FIMIHARA (Ifaty and Mangily village fishing associations) with advice from ReefDoctor. The FADs will be open in rotation and the number of fishermen allowed to fish the FADs will be limited. This is to prevent the FADs being out-fished as soon as they are opened. The location of the FADs will be in 30m of water South of the South Pass. They are not deep enough or far enough out to act as full pelagic species attracting FADs, but will hopefully encourage more fishermen to venture to the exterior and realise that they can fish there and catch larger fish and thus reduce the fishing pressure within the lagoon.
