A Milestone for Autonomy in Community-led Marine Area Management in Madagascar
Paul Antion, Head of Programme Management for BV Madagascar, has lived within the small traditional fishing community of Andavadoaka in Madagascar since 2013, working alongside fishers to empower them to lead the management of their marine resources in a way...
Ink to interface: digitising data in Southeast Asia
Wahyu Dita Septiani is Blue Ventures’ fisheries and data coordinator for Indonesia. Her role ensures that data are unified and optimised, supporting communities in making adaptive decisions for thriving fisheries. Here, Dita dives into her journey in data management in...
Learning exchanges – the gateway to knowledge sharing and networking for local fishers
Sustainable fisheries management is often dependent on localised knowledge. Local communities have been present for in situ observation of their resources for many years and possess insights that can be traced back generations. Though not usually formally recorded, this valuable...
Scaling affordable credit facilities for fisher communities in East Africa through collaborative learning
About the author: Joan Otengo, Blue Ventures partner support coordinator in Kenya, shares her experiences from the community learning exchange visit to Zanzibar. It has been two years since we launched the Eco-credit Project in Kwale County, Kenya, a fund...
2023: A Year of Action in West Africa
This year was the first full year of action for Blue Ventures in West Africa, putting in place our activities plan after extensive scoping and discussions with potential partners. What an exciting year it has been: we formed key partnerships,...
Learning from successful MPAs in Senegal to pave the way for Congo’s first marine protected area
The writers of this blog are part of Renatura Congo, an NGO dedicated to promoting sustainable development through biodiversity conservation. This exchange journey was made possible through co-funding by Rainforest Trust and Blue Ventures, aligning with Renatura Congo’s strategic plan...
Gambian youth group championing green initiatives for a healthier environment
In an effort to make a real difference in their community and address issues related to the environment, members of the Sanyang Youths for Environmental Protection and Development (SANYEPD) are making waves with their hands-on approach to mangrove restoration and...
Embarking on a sustainable shrimp journey in Indragiri Hilir, Indonesia
Inayah joined Blue Ventures Indonesia as a Fisheries and Data Technician in June 2023. Her role involves supporting local partners with data collection, analysis, and reporting. In her first blog, she talks about how the first shrimp stock assessment carried...
The African Community Conservation Forum 2023: power, money, and partnerships
In a remarkable gathering of minds and voices organised by Blue Ventures and Maliasili, the first-ever African Community Conservation Forum brought together African Civil Society Organizations, international NGOs, and donors to harness the power of collective knowledge and experiences to...
Small-scale fishers should be in the driving seat for blue carbon projects in the future. Here’s why.
Jemima Gomes joined Blue Ventures in 2016 as the Diving Assistant during Blue Ventures Expedition programme in Timor-Leste. Jemima recently participated in a Seagrass Ecosystem Services regional workshop in Indonesia. Here, she shares her personal experience of the Blue Carbon...
Joan’s trip from Kwale to Kilwa: witnessing the benefits of octopus fishery closures and gender diversity
Joan Otengo joined Blue Ventures in March 2023 as the Partner Support Coordinator for Kenya. Joan recently participated in a learning visit to Kilwa, Tanzania with the beach management unit (BMU) members from Kwale, Kenya. Here, she shares her personal...
Learning exchanges inspire mangrove forest conservation in Indonesia
Yoga Putra joined Blue Ventures in August 2023 as the Global Senior Communications Officer for Asia-Pacific. Yoga recently participated in a learning visit to Surabaya, East Java in Indonesia, with community representatives from villages in Indragiri Hilir, Riau. Here, he...
Women pilot savings and loan scheme in Timor-Leste to introduce alternative livelihoods in communities
Natercia Verdial joined Blue Ventures in March 2022 as a Fisheries and Livelihoods Senior Manager in Timor-Leste. Natercia uses her expertise to support women to identify and introduce alternative livelihoods in their communities. Here she talks about her recent work...
Empowering Ende: monitoring coral reefs for thriving fisheries
How local expertise and data-driven conservation are reviving octopus fisheries in Ende, Indonesia Arya Dhani joined Blue Ventures in November 2022 as a Fisheries and Data Technician in Indonesia. Arya uses his fisheries management expertise to provide technical support to...
Our first-ever peer-to-peer learning exchange on blue carbon ecosystems in Madagascar
Holly Elgar joined Blue Ventures in 2022 as a Senior Scoping Officer for blue carbon ecosystems. Holly uses her expertise to identify potential sites to expand our community-led mangrove management projects around the world. Here she talks about her recent...