Madagascar

By Stephanie Rodriguez

Fisherman Perline Ernestine presides over Marohata—a coastal village in southwestern Madagascar where fresh and saltwater ecosystems converge, brimming with green sea turtles, shrimp, crab, and tentacled sea cucumber. As a child growing up by the sea, she’d eagerly watched fishermen return home from their expeditions. Today, the mother of four is a leader within the Marohata fisher’s association, an alliance of local villagers dedicated to protecting their way of life. She is the only female president of the association’s nine villages.