Mariculture

Several villages within Velondriake are well placed to grow sea cucumbers and seaweed, both products that can be sold on the lucrative international market. Blue Ventures technicians have been working with Velondriake villages in order to introduce these alternative income sources. Promoting alternatives to fishing, such as these farming techniques, can benefit local households economically by providing supplemental income, as well as benefitting the LMMA ecologically as by reducing the number of people who rely on fishing.

Sea cucumbers rearing

The reef flats surrounding many villages in the Velondriake network offer an ideally placid habitat for sea cucumbers, which are prized in Asia for their aphrodisiac qualities. Prices can reach approximately $220/kg for the majority of the year and rise higher with increased demand at Chinese New Years.

Sea cucumber rearing provides an ideal alternative livelihood for coastal communities in Velondriake as it fits easily into their daily lives, which are based around the sea.   It's relatively simple, with minimal labour and low capital investment, and has no adverse impact on the environment; in fact the pens may also help to regenerate severely depleted natural populations of sea cucumbers. 

Once established, sea cucumber pens can be harvested once every three months, providing a family with revenue of approximately $60/month.

Seaweed farming

Similar to sea cucumbers, seaweed (Eucheuma) also has a strong international market, which Velondriake can supply.  Blue Ventures works with farmers throughout Velondriake in setting up lines of seaweed and providing technical support as the crop matures. It is grown by community members in four villages within Velondriake, and is exported for use as an organic thickening agent, found in numerous food and household products, including toothpaste.