Applying sustainability assessment thinking to a community-governed development: a sea cucumber farm in Madagascar

Figures & data

Table 1 Principles for good community governance

Collaboration	People working together. Everyone in the community has a voice
Fairness and Equity	All men and women are involved in the decision-making process. Delegates for the community talk on behalf of the whole community
Accountability	Decision-makers and community representatives are accountable to the community and the decision-making process is transparent.

Table 2 Operational goals for the sea cucumber farm in Tampolove

Environmental	Halt over-exploitation of wild stocks of sea cucumbers
	Increase wild stocks of sea cucumbers and fish
Social	Provide employment and income for the community
	Provide education for the children of the community
Economic	Provide an alternative income to fishing
	Provide economic growth of the community
Source: derived from Robinson and Pascal (2009), Tsiresy et al. (2011) and BV (2012).

Table 3 Case-specific questions and key results for generic criteria

Socio-ecological system integrity
How does the farm affect: Natural habitats and fauna and their ability to provide ecosystem service? The capacity of maintaining the project into the future?	Construction of pens	−
	Competition for space and resources	−
	Active removal of predators	−
	Genetic diversity loss, introduction of disease and parasites	=
	Increased earnings and new financial system	+
Livelihood sufficiency, opportunity and inclusivity
How does the farm affect: Income and employment in the community? Education and training for the community? Health of the community?	Potential for increased capacity and employment	+
	Farming education provided by NGO	+
	School farming team provides school tuition	+
	Health issues from farming are no different to traditional fishing	=
Inragenerational equity and accountability
How does the farm affect: Wealth distribution within the community and in the region? Gender and age equity? Decision-making and accountability?	Wealth not spread throughout the region	−
	Equal opportunity for farming within the community	+
	Less fortunate benefit through school tuition scholarships	+
	Equal opportunity for men and women	+
	School involvement ensures gender equity	+
	Community input guided by NGO	+
Intergenerational equity
How does the farm affect: Future income and employment? Wild sea-cucumber stock numbers? Income generation alternative to fishing? Product demand?	Potential for future increased profitability and employment	+
	Future potential to reduce wild stock harvesting in Tampolove	+
	High wild stock harvesting in neighbouring communities	−
	High demand	+
Resource maintenance and efficiency
How does the farm affect: Resource (sea-cucumber) impacts? Net energy usage? Net material usage?	Harvest post-reproductive stage, potential for re-stocking of wild sea cucumbers	+
	Energy and material use similar to traditional fishing practices	=
Socio-ecological civility and democratic governance
How does the farm affect: Social awareness and ecological awareness of the community? Community capacity?	High social and ecological awareness	+
	Potential for community to run farm without NGO support	+
Precaution and Adaptation
How does the farm affect: Damage compared with traditional fishing practices? Ability to monitor any changes?	No local scale monitoring of potential environmental damage from farm	−
Intermediate and long-term integration, and future demands
How do the interrelations among the farm's effects influence: Capacity to deliver desirable effects? Ability to increase desirable effects? Ability to reverse adverse effects? The ability to adapt for future demands and population growth?	Social and economic benefits	+
	No decrease in fishing	−
	Increased protected (no fishing) areas	+
	Lack of monitoring of environmental impacts	−
	Potential growth limited owing to space requirements	−
	Inability to keep up with future population growth	−

Robinson , G and Pascal , B . 2009 . From hatchery to community – Madagascar's first village-based holothurian mariculture programme . SPC Beche-de-mer Inform Bull , 29 : 38 – 43 .

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Tsiresy , G , Pascal , B and Plotieau , T . 2011 . An assessment of Holothuria scabra growth in marine micro farms in southwestern Madagascar . SPC Beche-de-mer Inform Bull , 31 : 17 – 22 .

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Blue Ventures [BV] . 2012 . 2011 Annual report (draft) – an aquaculture industry for Madagascar, community based aquaculture development , London : Blue Ventures Conservation .

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