OVEREXPLOITATION OF LIVING RESOURCES IN MADAGASCAR for Kids

Madagascar's native species have been aggressively hunted and collected by people desperately seeking to provide for their families. While it has been illegal to kill or keep lemurs as pets since 1964, today lemurs are hunted as bushmeat in areas where they are not protected by local taboos called fady. Tenrecs and carnivores are also widely hunted as a source of protein.

Reptiles and amphibians are enthusiastically collected for the international pet trade. Chameleons, geckos, snakes, and tortoises are the most targeted.

The waters around Madagascar serve as a rich fishery and are an important source of income for villagers. Unfortunately fishing is poorly supervised and regulated. Foreign fishing boats encroach on fishing areas leaving locals and the marine fauna with the short end of the stick. Sharks, sea cucumbers, and lobsters may be harvested at increasingly unsustainable rates.

Forest logged for subsistence agriculture in Madagascar


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