Pinstripe Damba (Paretroplus menarambo)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 14259378

Saving the Pinstripe Damba by regulating fishery practices

Enforcing fishery regulations have multiple benefits to the Pinstripe damba and the other native fish stock in Lake Tseny. By respecting the net mesh sizes, fishermen do not catch the juveniles and allow them to reach adulthood hence reproduce. By respecting the closed fishing period, they provide adults opportunities to breed, produce eggs and allow their development into larvae, fries and fingerlings. Not enough information is yet available on when wild Pinstripe damba go through all these stages, neither about their breeding behaviour. Our team observed a pair of adults with nearly 200 juveniles in November 2013. Nonetheless, raising awareness on and enforcing the existing regulations will certainly benefit to the species.

To reach the widest audience possible, we used different means for the awareness campaign:

• A poster using the local dialect was produced and posted in each village aroud Lake Tseny following a village-level meeting to talk about its content,
• A training session was organized for the leaders of the five fishermen cooperatives established around Lake Tseny,
• A radio programme was recorded with the local radio station (Radio Feon'i Boriziny), where the Regional Director of the Fishery Service was talking about the fishery regulations, and
• A festival was organized at the main town near Lake Tseny (Tsaratanàna) on 16th December 2014 to brand that the fishing season is officially closing.

 Simultaneously, we provided each cooperative with eight nets respecting the existing regulations. During the 2015 fishing season, we will assess how the nets are being used by each cooperative, and how the system could be improved.