Madagascar launches a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries

Antananarivo - 24 June 2024 | Madagascar's Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy (MPEB - Ministère de la Pêche et de l’Économie Bleue), supported by FAO, officially launched the National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF or PAN-PP in French: Plan d’Actions National pour la Petite Pêche). The ceremony brought together key stakeholders from civil society, small-scale fishers' organizations, industrial fisheries, and the Ministry's technical and financial partners.

The NPOA-SSF aligns with the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines), reinforcing Madagascar's commitment to developing its small-scale fisheries sector. The document aims to ensure sustainable management for small-scale fisheries with a view to enhancing food security and livelihoods through good governance, improved socio-economic and ecological conditions, and by ensuring the resilience and autonomy of fishing communities.

The NPOA-SSF is structured around five strategic pillars, each containing priority areas that guide specific activities: (i) inclusive governance, (ii) responsible and sustainable resource use, (iii) a resilient value chain for small-scale fishery products, (iv) decent working conditions for all stakeholders, and (v) biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.

The MPEB is focused on leveraging small-scale fisheries and aquaculture as drivers of economic and social development, aiming to reduce poverty, increase access to nutritionally rich aquatic foods, and improve food and nutrition security across the country.

To ensure ownership of this document and facilitate implementation, the MPEB will mobilize its technical and financial partners, supported by the small-scale fisheries national task force, to secure necessary funding, starting with a donor conference. FAO will continue to support the NPOA-SSF implementation under the recently started global project Implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines for gender-equitable and climate-resilient food systems and livelihoods – Phase 2.

The path to development

The NPOA-SSF was developed under the leadership of a national task force chaired by the MPEB and with active participation of key small-scale fishers’ representatives and related stakeholders. FAO facilitated the process by providing training on the development and implementation of an NPOA-SSF,  funded by two global small-scale fisheries projects, namely the Creating an enabling environment for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries and the Implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines for gender-equitable and climate-resilient food systems and livelihoods.

The development of the NPOA-SSF involved extensive consultations, including six inter-regional workshops with participants from 18 regions of Madagascar. Stakeholders included fishers, post-harvest actors, civil society organizations, research institutions, private operators, and fisheries administrations. The collected information was validated at the national level with representatives from these consultations.