Community farms feed families:How a British scientist combined passion for conservation with sea cucumber rearing in remote Indian Dcean island villages

摘要

What do a young British research scientist and the semi-nomadic fishing communities of Madagascar have in common, and what has bound themtogether for the past ten years? The answer is the humble sea cucumber.This singular creature is highly prized, not least for its alleged aphrodisiac properties, and demand, particularly in China, is booming. But with wild stocks depleted by over exploitation, rearing the species is increasingly where the future lies.This is what Alasdair Harris came to realise after time spent exploring the coral reefs off Madagascar as a student. Obsessed with marine biodiversity, he first set up an ecotourism project in the region, in 2003, and in the years since then, his Blue Ventures organisation has grown to encompass sustainable fisheries, research, education - and the world's first community based sea cucumber farm.Introducing aquaculture into Andavadoaka, a remote fishing village in the south-west of the island, and establishing an alternative livelihood for the locals has helped to both alleviate poverty and conserve the precious marine environment.