Madagascar adds 15 protected areas

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Madagascar adds 15 protected areas
mongabay.com
April 30, 2007

Madagascar has added 15 new protected areas covering nearly 1 million hectares (2.4 million acres) of land, reports Conservation International (CI). The move will help protect the island's unique wildlife from extinction.

The newly protected areas include "1.2 million acres of dense forest in the southeast, 684,000 acres of forests and lakes in a wetland complex on the northwest coast, and mangroves and lakes in the Menabe Central Forest," said CI in a statement.

"Anyone who says conservation and development cannot work hand-in-hand is wrong," says Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana. "It is important to stress the positive impact biodiversity conservation has on economic development and quality of life."

Ravalomanana has moved to protect some 2 million hectares of land over the past two years. He aims to protect 10 percent of the California-sized island by 2008.

Famous for its lemurs, Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth. The island's high number of endemic species have made it a top global conservation priority.

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