This permanent freshwater lake in western Madagascar’s Mahavavy basin supports the livelihoods of several local communities, which depend on fishing and lakeside rice production. The vegetation is dominated by Phragmites mauritianus reeds, which provide nesting ground and refuge for a wide range of animals including 45 waterbird species, four of which are threatened, and the endemic and endangered Sakalava rail (Amaurornis olivieri). The Site is an important source of food and a spawning ground for 18 species of fish, including the endangered Paretroplus dambabe and the vulnerable Paretroplus kieneri, as well as freshwater tortoise including the critically endangered Erymnochelys madagascariensis. The lake is threatened by overfishing and the use of unregulated fishing techniques, and the destruction of drainage basins for agriculture, for example through the conversion of marshes into rice paddies. The Ramsar Site is part of the Mahavavy Kinkony protected area. The protected area has a management plan, and a community-based organization has been created to regulate fishing and agricultural activities and ensure sustainable management of the lake’s resources.