Local names of fishing sites in a small-scale fishery in Southwest Madagascar

This is a dataset of 454 vernacular place names (toponyms) of fishing sites in the Bay of Toliara, Southwest Madagascar. The data was collected as part of three fish landing surveys of the coral reef fishery conducted in i) 1989-1990 in six fishing villages (Besakoa, Mahavatse 1, Mahavatse 2, Ankilibe, Sarodrano, and Saint-Augustin), ii) in 2009 in five fishing villages (Ambohitsabo, Ankiembe, Ankilibe, Sarodrano, and Saint-Augustin), and iii) in 2018-2019 in eight fishing villages (Ambohitsabo, Besakoa, Mahavatsy 2, Ankiembe bas, Mahavatsy 1, Ankiembe haut, Ankilibe, and Sarodrano). A total of 6,461 and 15,904 fishing trips were monitored in 2009 and 2018-2019, respectively. The name of the fishing site(s) visited during each fishing trip was recorded by the fishers on a logsheet in the Vezo language. The Vezo is one of the ethnic groups in Southwest Madagascar whose identity relies on fishing practice. The literal meaning of the place names is given in Malagasy, French, and English as recorded during focus group discussion in 2022 in four out of the eight villages (Ambohitsabo, Ankiembe bas, Ankilibe, and Sarodrano). The survey period (1989-1990, 2009, and/or 2018-2019) when each name was recorded was also indicated in the dataset.