Following our June update, we would like to share further news on the progress being made with our project in Andriantantely, which has been made possible thanks to the support of IUCN Save Our Species.
A focus on lemurs
Andriantantely provides valuable habitat for a variety of lemur species and other wildlife. By protecting and restoring that habitat, our project will help support all species, but we will specifically focus on monitoring and assessing the populations of four Critically Endangered lemur species. They are the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), diademed sifaka(Propithecus diadema); indri (Indri indri), and greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus).
Threats from Illegal Activities
Lemur hunting is a specific threat, but a broader threat to the entire ecosystem in the area is habitat loss resulting from the inappropriate activities of human populations. Such activities can relate to a number of different practices, one of which is small-scale illegal gold mining.
Ranger Patrol at an Illegal Small Scale Gold Mining Site © Hery Randriahaingo, The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
Unfortunately, it has become a serious threat as prospecting for gold has led to more than 60 people coming into some sections of the conservation area every day. The impact of their activities can be devastating to the ecosystem.
For example, local rangers supported by our project have identified an area that had previously provided valuable habitat for bamboo lemurs, which had been cleared of all the bamboo by gold miners who had dug about 50 holes.
One of the holes dug by gold miners © Hery Randriahaingo, The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
Thanks to the efforts of the rangers, our team in Madagascar were able to take the relevant government authorities to see the damage and to stop the threat from escalating. At the present time, no more people are coming into the area. However, a restoration project will need to be implemented to reinstate the devastated habitat.
Another major driver of habitat loss is the long-held cultural tradition in Madagascar of a practice known as Tavy. This involves cutting down trees and other vegetation, which is allowed to dry, after which it is burnt to clear the land for agricultural use. It is perhaps more commonly known as slash-and-burn agriculture.
Illegal settlement in the conservation area under the responsibility of VOI Ainga vao © Hery Randriahaingo, The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
During a recent patrol, the local rangers identified an illegal settlement in the conservation area where the settlement owner had started to practice Tavy.
It is situations such as these that show the urgency of renewing the transfer of management contracts, as they provide the local community associations (VOIs) with the continuity and authority to put a stop to such damaging illegal activities. Through our project, five VOIs that have expired contracts will undergo a renewal process to restore their powers to manage the natural resources within the areas they are responsible for.
Supporting Communities
VOI renewals and local ranger patrols are crucial to restricting and preventing practices that are harmful to lemurs and their habitats, but the needs of local communities must also be recognised for long-term conservation success. In future updates, we will look at our project activities that are designed to support the communities as they develop skills and knowledge to transition to more sustainable use of the natural resources on which they depend, using techniques that will also increase their resilience to the impact of climate change.
Alongside these activities, it is also important to raise awareness. Whilst VOI members participate across all elements of the project, our team in Madagascar have several methods for reaching the wider population for raising awareness. One method is the distribution of conservation-themed calendars, which are being distributed each year of this multi-year project. This is helping us to raise the awareness of 1,000 families across all groups within the communities.
The Importance of Communication
Our team is well known in the communities within the project area as the Aspinall Foundation Madagascar programme has worked continuously in Andriantantely for over 15 years. However, we always recognise the importance of effective communication. For example, Malagasy people relate more to visual messaging and storytelling, and events such as World Lemur Day celebrations provide excellent opportunities for engaging with a wider audience across all age groups. Other awareness-raising activities are more formal and are designed to tackle key issues, such as rules and regulations relating to the zoning process and the protection of dedicated conservation areas.
Regular meetings are also held with VOI committees, VOI members and other key stakeholders such as teachers.
A Community-Led Approach
One of the most important aspects of this project is that it adopts a community-led approach. Change is not easy, or quickly achieved, but for long-lasting conservation success that offers protection for lemurs, critical habitats and all wildlife, local communities must be at the heart of the process.
As the project progresses, we will share other updates with you, but for now, as always, we would like to end by saying again that we are grateful to IUCN for their support.
IUCN Save Our Species aims to improve the long-term survival prospects of threatened species. It also focuses on supporting the species' habitats and working with the communities who share this habitat. It achieves success by funding and coordinating conservation projects into multiple initiatives across the globe.