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.
