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| Harvesting the first round of fish |
The community in which I call home (the
area surrounding the village of Vohipeno) encompasses an astonishingly diverse
and beautiful ecosystem. Some of the natural highlights of this region include
lush hills of native vegetation, the best fruit in Madagascar, and a remarkably
large assortment of little (and not so little) critters.
At
the center of all of these natural curiosities sits the life-blood of the
community: ny renirano (the river, or literally
the water mother). In addition to
being a key component in many traditional spiritual practices, the river is
essential to the wellbeing of the people of this region, serving primarily as a
food source. The section closest to the farm, Matitanana, is home to freshwater
(tilapia-esque) fish, two species of delicious eel, a handful of saltwater
creatures that make the swim up from the Indian Ocean, and even a small cast of
crocodiles.
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| The hatchery |
Unfortunately, increasingly lengthy hunger
seasons and the consequential overfishing of the river has begun the rapid
decay of this crucial piscine ecosystem. In response to this pressing issue,
the farm has been developing a freshwater hatchery. Over the past eight months
(filled with countless hours of shoveling, filling, stocking, raising, and praying)
I have had the pleasure of seeing this ambitious venture come to fruition.
Recently, after trolling the hatchery in pairs, we harvested the first mature
group of fish (734 to be exact) to be sold in the surrounding marketplaces! I
can’t wait to see how this new installation influences the lives of the people
in this incredible community.
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