Category: Uncategorised

Talking Tuna in Tanzania

By Mialy Andriamhefazafy, BV Environmental Policy Officer, Madagascar This week has been a very exciting one in my role as BV’s Madagascar-based environmental policy officer. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from around the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions have been meeting here...

/ Nov 10, 2011

The beauty of the baobabs and the birds

By Karen Toque, Blue Ventures volunteer, Madagascar It was time for a break from diving to allow the nitrogen bubbles that had built up in our blood over the past five days spent underwater to leave the body. We decided...

/ Nov 9, 2011

See the sea cucumbers come out at night

By Harry Harty, Blue Ventures volunteer, Madagascar As a non-diving volunteer my 12 weeks here at Andavadoaka are being spent undertaking various terrestrial based activities. Last week BV’s Aquaculture Project Coordinator, Antoine approached me about joining him on one of...

/ Nov 2, 2011

World population will reach 7 billion by the end of October

By Kame Westerman, Velondriake MPA Project Coordinator, Madagascar According to the United Nations, world population will reach 7 billion at the end of this month. The majority of this growth is in developing countries, where communities are highly reliant on...

/ Oct 26, 2011

Eagle explorations

By Karen Tocque, Blue Ventures volunteer, Madagascar It was blowing hard from the south – about 35 knots and lifting the sand up into your face on the way down to dinner. We weren’t diving for a couple of days...

/ Oct 13, 2011

Malagasy celebrations: Part two

By Samuel Blyth, Independent Researcher, Madagascar The second village that I worked in was quite a change from the Vezo communities that most volunteers and visitors to the coast spend their time in. Going to Marofihitsy to survey was potentially...

/ Oct 5, 2011

Happy campers

By Cari Walker, Blue Ventures volunteer, Andavadoaka, Madagascar. Half of the group on Expedition 63 took an overnight camping trip to the island of Andragnombala. We had initially intended to go to Tampolove. However, the local saying “it depends on...

/ Aug 17, 2011

Songs of the Sea

By Paul Firth, Blue Ventures volunteer, Andavadoaka, Madagascar ‘Vezo Aho’ is painted proudly on the square white sail of our slender wooden pirogue as Simba, our host, tightens it into the northerly wind and bears away towards Nosy Fasy, a...

/ Aug 8, 2011

New Junior Reporters Club initiative hopes to spread the conservation message through the younger generation by encouraging environmental awareness in the children of Madagascar

By George ‘Bic’ Manahira Exciting times here in south west Madagascar as Blue Ventures make preparations for a new project working with local kids – the Junior Reporters Club (JRC). In the village of Andavadoaka, there are a lot of...

/ Jul 28, 2011

Mikoko Pamoja (Mangroves together)

By Lalao Aigrette Ravaoarinorotsihoarana, Mangrove REDD Research Manager, Blue Ventures Conservation. Earthwatch is an international NGO which runs a training program to enhance local and regional research capacity and has been supporting mangrove research in Kenya through the Tidal Forests...

/ Jun 29, 2011

Insatiable Appetites Drive Madagascar’s Tortoises to Extinction

Antananarivo, Madagascar — April 13, 2011—Despite being one of the most culturally significant and iconic species in Madagascar, the Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) is being catapulted to extinction because it is a source of food for local people and a...

/ Apr 18, 2011

Where there was once destruction, comes new life

By Matt Hitchiner, Tampolove Research Site Manager, Tampolove, Madagascar. Despite local tales of a monster dwelling within the depths of the Tampolove mangrove forest, this myth has evidently done little to dissuade people from entering and cutting down substantial areas...

/ Mar 22, 2011

Blue Ventures hosts guests from neighbouring Comorian islands

By Kame Westerman, Velondriake MPA Project Coordinator, Andavadoaka, Madagascar.  The success of Blue Ventures and Velondriake in southwest Madagascar has garnered growing interest from other conservation organizations wanting to learn about community conservation in this context.  Recently, we had two...

/ Feb 8, 2011

Velondriake General Assembly meeting – local governance in action

By Kame Westerman, Velondriake MPA Project Coordinator, Andavadoaka, Madagascar.  The Velondriake marine managed area is governed by representatives from each of the twenty-five villages that are encompassed by its boundaries.  Twice a year, these 65 representatives come together to take...

/ Feb 3, 2011

BV’s Fran joins the Fishfight

By Frances Humber, Research Coordinator. The public has been hooked on cod, salmon and tuna for too long and it was time for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his ‘Fish Fight’ to highlight the enormous levels of ‘discard’ or waste in EU...

/ Nov 24, 2010