THE VEZO OF south-west Madagascar live by and off the sea, their way of life pretty much unchanged for generations. In order to be truly Vezo, the men must be able to row, swim, sail and fish. Indeed, they have fished traditionally for generations, initially for the village needs, but in recent years they have begun to sell their fish to large fishing companies. The women, meanwhile, go out at low tide and glean for octopus, also to sell. However, the marine life is not as abundant as it was. “There are less octopus than there used to be,” says Celestine, a fifty-year-old grandmother. “Before, ...
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