Regional Variations in Catch Per Unit Effort in Madagascar: The Roles of Gender, Gear Use, and Reserve Status

Small-scale fisheries are vital to Madagascar's coastal communities, providing livelihoods, food security, and economic opportunities. Yet, these fisheries are often undervalued and unmanaged due to limited data.  With the growing establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Madagascar, gaining insights into how fishing practices interact with socio-ecological dynamics has become increasingly important for effective management. However, no study to date has offered a comprehensive regional comparison of catch per unit effort (CPUE). To address this gap, we investigated the effects of gender, gear use, reserve status, and fishing revenue on regional CPUE trends. We used CPUE data collected by trained local fish collectors, from 2023 to 2024, through Kobo Toolbox standardized surveys, encompassing over 8,100 fishing trips across 18 villages in three regions (Southwest, Northwest, and Northeast). Collectors, primarily women, documented fishers’ gender, age, hours at sea, fishing locations, gear types used, and identified, counted, and weighed each organism caught twice a week. We anticipate regional differences in CPUE trends, with higher values in areas where women contribute substantially to the catch and in regions where villages participate in protected area agreements, as reserves may promote more sustainable fish populations through reduced fishing pressure and spillover effects. These findings will improve understanding of the regional factors that influence CPUE, supporting more inclusive and effective management strategies for sustainable fisheries. By examining these trends alongside community perspectives, we hope to understand how fishing practices and CPUE relate to opinions on and participation in MPA management across these categories, fostering more inclusive management approaches. Although this research focuses on Madagascar, it will provide valuable insights for conservation organizations working on small-scale fisheries and MPA management globally.