The Vezo are an indigenous, nomadic community that who live along the country's southwest coast and make their living from fishing. Most of the fishing methods they use are similar to the way they were several generations ago. Their boats have no motors, they dive without tanks, and their nets are often handmade. Though they used to avoid sea cucumbers and sharks, the commodification of these items in China have dramatically increased their value. However, as such, Chinese shark hunters nearly fished these animals to extinction off the coast of Madagascar in the 1990s. At first, the Vezo just continued to move up the coast of Madagascar to where there were more fish to harvest. The Vezo are now living in harsh conditions, which has sparked the expansion of the protected seas in Madagascar by president Rajaonarimampianina by a factor of three.
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2987776/madagascars_sea_nomads_are_the_new_ocean_defenders.html
Wow, quite a cascade of exploitation and conservation events. I wonder what was happening in the 90s, when the Chinese shark hunters were exhausting the waters off Madagascar's coast. Were there attempts to stop them? Has anyone seen info on this?
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