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In order to ensure the sustainable management of reef fisheries, it is necessary to obtain data about the effects of these fisheries on both fish resources and the ecosystems that sustain them. Ecosystem-based surveys provide this information, but are difficult to implement because of technical, financial and human resources requirements. In this regard participatory assessment methods have the potential to increase the amount of data collected at low cost, while taking advantage of local traditional ecological knowledge. In order to investigate the reef fishery of Toliara Bay, southwest Madagascar, we used participatory fish survey and interview data collected on site. These methods included: (i) monitoring of catch landings during six months by wholesale fish merchants, (ii) household surveys of fishing catch and effort and fish consumption conducted by school children, and (iii) semi-structured interviews of reef users. One thousand five hundred and eighty six fishing trips were sampled between September 2006 and February 2007, 326 households were surveyed by trained school children in January 2007, and 70 reef users were interviewed in July/August 2006. Data collected by participants have been compiled and compared to reference values when available, allowing an assessment of the sustainability of the reef fishery. The results of this study confirm the unsustainable nature of resource exploitation and underline the need for rapid management responses in order to reverse this trend. It also highlights the great potential of participatory assessment methods for gathering large amounts of relevant information on the status and evolution of the ecosystem upon which the fishery depends, while promoting education and awareness about the protection and sustainable use of natural resources. RÉSUMÉ Bien que les pêcheries récifales ne contribuent que marginalement aux captures de pêche mondiales, elles restent une source majeure de revenus et de protéines pour des millions de personnes, en particulier dans les pays en voie de développement. Afin de s'assurer de la bonne gestion de ces pêcheries, il est nécessaire de disposer d'informations sur l'état des ressources et des écosystèmes dont elles dépendent. Mener de telles études est d'autant plus compliqué que les pêcheries en milieu corallien portent sur un large éventail de stocks et d'espèces de poissons, concernent de nombreux pêcheurs et supposent diverses méthodes de captures, et empruntent un grand nombre de canaux de distribution. De plus, ces pêcheries sont souvent considérées de moindre valeur par les gouvernements qui leur octroient donc peu de moyens humains et financiers. Face à ces problèmes, l'implication de la société civile dans les programmes de suivi, appelé suivi participatif, semble en mesure d'apporter des solutions, d'autant que les suivis participatifs présentent l'avantage d'accroître le nombre de données collectées à moindre coût, tout en profitant des connaissances écologiques empiriques qui sont disponibles localement. Afin d'évaluer la pérennité de la pêcherie récifale de la baie de Toliara dans le sud ouest de Madagascar, des méthodes de suivi participatif ont été expérimentées. Ces méthodes consistent à mettre en œuvre : (i) des suivis des débarquements pendant six mois impliquant des mareyeuses, (ii) des enquêtes auprès des ménages, réalisées par des écoliers préalablement formés, afin de recueillir des informations sur l'effort de pêche, les captures et la consommation de poisons, (iii) des entretiens semi-directifs avec des usagers du milieu marin. Ainsi, entre 2006 et 2007, 1586 sorties de pêche ont été échantillonnées, et 326 ménages et 70 usagers ont fait l'objet d'enquêtes. Les données collectées par les membres de la communauté locale ont été analysées afin d'évaluer la pérennité de la pêcherie dans la baie de Toliara. Les résultats de l'étude confirment une exploitation non pérenne et soulignent la nécessité de mettre en place des mesures de gestion afin d'inverser la tendance de détérioration des écosystèmes de la baie. Il ressort également de cette étude que l'implication de la société civile s'avère être pertinente pour recueillir des informations sur les pêcheries récifales à faible coût. En effet, de part le nombre, la qualité, la variété et la pertinence des informations produites, les suivis participatifs contribuent utilement à l'évaluation des pêcheries récifales. Cette expérience met également en évidence le fort potentiel des suivis participatifs à contribuer au renforcement des connaissances et des capacités des communautés locales dans le domaine de la gestion des ressources marines. Ainsi, face au difficile contexte socio-économique et politique qui prévaut actuellement à Madagascar, cette approche s'avère particulièrement prometteuse pour améliorer la gestion des pêcheries traditionnelles grâce à la production d'informations sur ces pêcheries et une plus grande implication des communautés locales dans le processus de gestion.

International audience ; Marine protected areas are a laboratory of integrated coastal management. Driving the MPA system requires the implementation of a battery of indicators of governance. This governance must take into account both the internal dynamics of the system and the threats coming from the system environment. As part of a research project funded by the French Ministry of Ecology, (Liteau program), 4 coral reef MPAs were selected as pilote studies (St Martin in the Caribbean, Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the South Lagoon of New Caledonia in Oceania) to develop jointly between scientists and managers of MPAs governance indicators. The approach is definitely bottom up. It is based on the co-construction of indicators. In that way, the views of the scientists who bring their knowledge of governance and ICZM were crossed with the views of MPA managers who bring their field knowledge and specific requests relating to the management of their MPAs. The process was conducted in 5 steps which will be described. The main indicators will be presented and then discussed.

International audience ; Marine protected areas are a laboratory of integrated coastal management. Driving the MPA system requires the implementation of a battery of indicators of governance. This governance must take into account both the internal dynamics of the system and the threats coming from the system environment. As part of a research project funded by the French Ministry of Ecology, (Liteau program), 4 coral reef MPAs were selected as pilote studies (St Martin in the Caribbean, Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the South Lagoon of New Caledonia in Oceania) to develop jointly between scientists and managers of MPAs governance indicators. The approach is definitely bottom up. It is based on the co-construction of indicators. In that way, the views of the scientists who bring their knowledge of governance and ICZM were crossed with the views of MPA managers who bring their field knowledge and specific requests relating to the management of their MPAs. The process was conducted in 5 steps which will be described. The main indicators will be presented and then discussed.

International audience ; Marine protected areas are a laboratory of integrated coastal management. Driving the MPA system requires the implementation of a battery of indicators of governance. This governance must take into account both the internal dynamics of the system and the threats coming from the system environment. As part of a research project funded by the French Ministry of Ecology, (Liteau program), 4 coral reef MPAs were selected as pilote studies (St Martin in the Caribbean, Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the South Lagoon of New Caledonia in Oceania) to develop jointly between scientists and managers of MPAs governance indicators. The approach is definitely bottom up. It is based on the co-construction of indicators. In that way, the views of the scientists who bring their knowledge of governance and ICZM were crossed with the views of MPA managers who bring their field knowledge and specific requests relating to the management of their MPAs. The process was conducted in 5 steps which will be described. The main indicators will be presented and then discussed.

International audience ; Marine protected areas are a laboratory of integrated coastal management. Driving the MPA system requires the implementation of a battery of indicators of governance. This governance must take into account both the internal dynamics of the system and the threats coming from the system environment. As part of a research project funded by the French Ministry of Ecology, (Liteau program), 4 coral reef MPAs were selected as pilote studies (St Martin in the Caribbean, Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the South Lagoon of New Caledonia in Oceania) to develop jointly between scientists and managers of MPAs governance indicators. The approach is definitely bottom up. It is based on the co-construction of indicators. In that way, the views of the scientists who bring their knowledge of governance and ICZM were crossed with the views of MPA managers who bring their field knowledge and specific requests relating to the management of their MPAs. The process was conducted in 5 steps which will be described. The main indicators will be presented and then discussed.

International audience ; Marine protected areas are a laboratory of integrated coastal management. Driving the MPA system requires the implementation of a battery of indicators of governance. This governance must take into account both the internal dynamics of the system and the threats coming from the system environment. As part of a research project funded by the French Ministry of Ecology, (Liteau program), 4 coral reef MPAs were selected as pilote studies (St Martin in the Caribbean, Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the South Lagoon of New Caledonia in Oceania) to develop jointly between scientists and managers of MPAs governance indicators. The approach is definitely bottom up. It is based on the co-construction of indicators. In that way, the views of the scientists who bring their knowledge of governance and ICZM were crossed with the views of MPA managers who bring their field knowledge and specific requests relating to the management of their MPAs. The process was conducted in 5 steps which will be described. The main indicators will be presented and then discussed.

International audience ; Marine protected areas are a laboratory of integrated coastal management. Driving the MPA system requires the implementation of a battery of indicators of governance. This governance must take into account both the internal dynamics of the system and the threats coming from the system environment. As part of a research project funded by the French Ministry of Ecology, (Liteau program), 4 coral reef MPAs were selected as pilote studies (St Martin in the Caribbean, Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the South Lagoon of New Caledonia in Oceania) to develop jointly between scientists and managers of MPAs governance indicators. The approach is definitely bottom up. It is based on the co-construction of indicators. In that way, the views of the scientists who bring their knowledge of governance and ICZM were crossed with the views of MPA managers who bring their field knowledge and specific requests relating to the management of their MPAs. The process was conducted in 5 steps which will be described. The main indicators will be presented and then discussed.