The proposed Parc Regional de Belomotse - Frontier-publications ...

epresents one of the highest numbers of endemic amphibians from any country in the
world. However, it is with the primates that Madagascar shows the highest degree of
endemism; 100% species endemism, encompassing 14 genera and 5 families (Garbutt,
1999). Madagascar contains over one third of the world’s primate families.
1.2 The History of Conservation in Madagascar
Madagascar has suffered extremely high levels of extinction since man arrived on the
island. The date (and countries of origin) of man’s first arrival in Madagascar has long
been the subject of studies. Archaeological evidence seems to indicate that man arrived
approximately 2,000 years ago (Burney et al, 1997). Since this remarkably late date,
man has precipitated a landslide of extinctions. Again, archaeological evidence validates
the ‘Blitzkrieg hypothesis’ put forward by Martin (1984), whereby as the human
population on Madagascar began to increase, man began to over-hunt the animals and
burn the land for cultivation, leading to a population crash amongst the endemic
megafauna. This in term led to the extinction of many species, including up to 15 lemur
species, incorporating 8 genera. Other losses included two genera of elephant bird and at
least two species of pygmy hippo. The extinction of these megafauna was remarkably
rapid, and relatively recent; the pygmy hippos and elephant bird are thought to have gone
extinct less than 1,000 years ago.
Madagascar has had a long history of attempted conservation efforts. After French
colonisation in 1895, prohibitive regulations were implemented (Kull, 1996). These
covered such aspects as banning the killing of lemurs, the initiation of replanting
schemes using eucalyptus and pine and, in 1927, the initiation of ten nature reserves.
However, France, through intensive logging activities combined with cash cropping of
coffee, precipitated further, rapid destruction of the remaining rainforests. This forced
many Malagasy to move into the highlands to find land for subsistence cultivation. In
turn, the French government banned tavy (slash and burn agriculture). This led the
Malagasy people to revolt, which in turn led to independence.
After independence, the lack of funding to Madagascar proved disastrous for
conservation efforts. In addition, in 1975 the president of Madagascar, Didier Ratsiraka,
established a socialist regime and expelled all foreigners from the country; effectively
halting all outside support and severely hindering progress (Richard and O’Connor,
1997). However, in the face of mounting external pressure, in 1985 an International
Conference on Conservation for Development was held in Antananarivo.
This led to a dramatic increase in external support for Malagasy conservation
development by organisations such as WWF and World Bank. It also led to an influx of
foreign scientists. In turn, a new Malagasy non-governmental organisation was set up;
the National Association for the Management of Protected Areas (ANGAP), which led
to the introduction of implemented conservation and development strategies in specific
protected areas, or National Parks. Today, ANGAP control over forty National Parks and
protected areas.
General elections in 2002 led to a new president, Marc Ravalomanana. It is to be hoped
that this will lead to further improvements in conservation development and support in
Madagascar.
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