All posts by Blue Ventures

Blue Ventures is an award winning marine conservation charity. We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities. On our Beyond Conservation blog you can hear voices from the front line of marine conservation written by our staff and volunteers.

Staff Q&A with Madison Kane, Expeditions Manager, Andavadoaka, Madagascar

In the twentieth instalment in our series of Q&As with Blue Ventures staff, we ask Madison Kane, Expeditions Manager, Andavadoaka, some searching questions about science, conservation and superpowers…

/ Mar 14, 2014

My medical elective with Blue Ventures in Andavadoaka, Madagascar

By Lousie Collingwood, medical elective student, Exeter, United Kingdom Madagascar is an incredible country, full of endemic wildlife and fringed by beautiful coral reefs. However, this wasn’t the only reason I decided to travel there for my medical elective… Blue...

/ Feb 25, 2014

Staff Q&A with Aude Carro, Blue Forests Coordinator (NW Madagascar)

In the nineteenth instalment in our series of Q&As with Blue Ventures staff, we ask Aude Carro, Blue Forests Coordinator (NW Madagascar), some searching questions about science, conservation and superpowers…

/ Feb 7, 2014

How can rice sacks help prevent diarrhoea?

By Mahasoa Lahatse, Health Education and WASH Specialist, Velondriake, Madagascar It makes us, the Safidy community health team of Blue Ventures, happy to share with you this short story about sand-bag latrines. This story takes place in our village of Andavadoaka, where...

/ Jan 31, 2014

Development of a community aquaculture project: going beyond for real sustainability

by Minnie Lanting, ex-Velondriake Programme Coordinator, and Antoine Rougier, Aquaculture Consultant, Madagascar This is Blue Ventures’ approach to promoting sustainable alternative livelihoods through our community-based aquaculture programme. Instead of giving one-off donations or handing out money to local fishers, the...

/ Jan 25, 2014

BV Belize’s conservation Christmas cracker

by Siim Maaten, BV Volunteer, Belize A couple of weeks before Christmas the weh di gwan (agenda) board in Bachalar Chico Dive Camp announced that while others are doing data entry and dives, Santa’s fellow-countrymen Kaisa and neighbour Siim (me)...

/ Jan 23, 2014

Staff Q&A with Fanjavola Rakotozafy, Community Liaison Officer

In the seventeenth instalment in our series of Q&As with Blue Ventures staff, we ask Fanjavola Rakotozafy, community liaison officer for our sustainable fisheries programme, some searching questions about science, conservation and superpowers… What is your professional background? I studied Geography at the University of...

/ Dec 20, 2013

Staff Q&A with Jen Chapman, Conservation Coordinator, Belize

In the fourteenth instalment in our series of Q&As with Blue Ventures staff, we ask Jen Chapman, our Conservation Coordinator in Belize, some searching questions about science, conservation and superpowers… What is your scientific background? Being brought-up by a biologist,...

/ Nov 29, 2013

Mapping resources with the communities in the Bay of Assassins

by Katrina Dewar, Field Scientist, Madagascar This was my first introduction to the lives of the Blue Forests team – finally I got to go on an adventure with them! For a whole week we worked on developing resource use...

/ Nov 25, 2013

Making a splash in Belize

By Jared Katzen, BV Volunteer, Belize 31 August 2013 There’s only a week left of our expedition and I can honestly say that this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. While many volunteers come to...

/ Sep 27, 2013

Coast-to-coast fisher exchange: from reef octopus to spiny lobster

Lobster fishers from Sainte Luce travelled almost 1,000 kilometres across southern Madagascar to learn from Velondriake’s experience of temporary octopus closures Blue Ventures is working to support some of Madagascar’s most isolated coastal communities to manage their fisheries and marine resources. Starting with a...

/ Sep 25, 2013

A disgusting but fascinating discovery!

By Gizem Poffyn, BV volunteer, Belize Day 1: Yesterday night the stars were beautiful; shining bright in a clear black sky. The sea was calm and the stingrays came very close to the beach to try and catch the crabs....

/ Sep 19, 2013

Nature on your doorstep: adventures on the Belize Barrier Reef

by Saskia Ponce, Centro Escolar México Junior College student, Belize Foreword by Jen Chapman, Belize Country Coordinator Centro Escolar México Junior College (CEMJC) is a Belizean tertiary education institution in the Corozal District. Its mission is to provide opportunities for students from...

/ Sep 4, 2013

Searchin’ for urchin

By Joakim Andersen & Sabina Larsson, BV volunteers, Belize Sabina 12 meters below: Point number 1: Dictyota 20 mm, point number 2: Halimeda 75 mm, point number 3: Dictyota again, 20 mm, … point number 10 – no idea what...

/ Aug 8, 2013