Leading conservation scientists from Madagascar, Australia, Finland, the U.K. and the U.S. have written an important letter published recently in the scientific journal Science to urge the newly elected president of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, to stop wildlife crime and natural forest clearing. The declining rule of law is threatening to cause the extinction of endemic faunal and floral species and is hampering the development opportunities of the 25 million people inhabiting Madagascar.

The erosion of the natural capital of Madagascar started when first human beings set foot on the island 10,000 years ago. Conservation efforts started in 1927 with the creation of the first nature reserves, and evolved slowly through the 20^th century, culminating with the announcement in 2003 at the World Parks Congress of the tripling in size of the nation’s protected areas.

Despite these efforts, the destruction of natural forest, the unsustainable harvesting of species, and the illegal collection of legally protected species for international trade have increased. It is time for the political leadership of Madagascar to address this critical situation.

As a result of its uniqueness, the biodiversity of Madagascar is a major global brand in the context of ecotourism. It is also an important economic asset for Malagasy people, from rural communities to the growing number of urban citizens who are benefiting directly or indirectly from ecosystem services such as water provision, air quality, pollination, erosion control and climate stability.

Since my first visit to Madagascar 40 years ago, I have seen positive conservation outcomes resulting from the work of civil society organizations and local communities working with selected governmental services. But we know that these laudable efforts are not sufficient and are often ruined by unplanned developments and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources.

What is needed is to see conservation of biodiversity being elevated to the level of a national priority to guarantee that the future economic and cultural development of Madagascar will be sustainable. Let’s hope that the crystal-clear message contained in the Science letter signed by this group of renowned conservationists will be heard by President Andry Rajoelina, and that actions will follow rapidly to stop the degradation of the forests and halt the wildlife crime conducted by criminal networks.