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.

Building reef resilence: my experiences from Zanzibar

by Rado Lebely Botosoamananto, Terrestrial & Fisheries Scientist, Madagascar I was told the first time I travelled outside of Madagascar, that while this may be a first for me, it won’t be the last time I leave; and it must...

/ Jul 26, 2013

Introducing Lily Mesnik: future conservation superstar

We are proud to introduce Lily Mesnik, an amazing young woman from the USA. Several months ago Lily contacted us out the blue, and all under her own initiative, because she wanted to raise money for our conservation work in Madagascar....

/ Jul 5, 2013

Staff Q&A with Sam Hope, Expedition and Dive Manager, Belize

In the tenth instalment in our series of Q&As with Blue Ventures staff, we ask Sam Hope, our Expedition and Dive Manager in Belize, some searching questions about science, conservation and superpowers… What is your scientific background? I have a...

/ Jun 27, 2013

Staff Q&A with Gildas Andriamalala, Assistant Conservation Coordinator

In the eighth instalment in our series of Q&As with Blue Ventures staff, we ask Gildas Andriamalala, our Assistant Conservation Coordinator, some searching questions about science, conservation and superpowers… What is your background? I spent four years of my life studying private...

/ Jun 13, 2013

Staff Q&A with Annabel Bennett, Expedition Manager

In the fifth instalment in our series of Q&As with Blue Ventures staff, we ask Annabel Bennett, our Expedition Manager, some searching questions about science, conservation and superpowers… What is your scientific background? I have a degree in marine and...

/ May 22, 2013

Letter from 217 civil groups to EU fisheries ministers

Introduction by Jo Hudson, Conservation & Research Assistant, London As negotiations on the reform of the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy, or CFP, enter the final and decisive stage, more than 217 civil society groups are calling on EU fisheries...

/ Apr 15, 2013

Cyclone Haruna response update (3)

Blue Ventures is continuing to respond to cyclone Haruna, which hit southwest Madagascar as a powerful category 2 storm exactly one month ago on 22nd February 2013. For previous updates about the situation, please follow the links here and here and here. Since the cyclone...

/ Mar 22, 2013

Cyclone Haruna response update (2)

Blue Ventures is currently responding to cyclone Haruna which hit southwest Madagascar as a powerful category 2 storm on 22nd February 2013. For previous updates about the situation please follow the links here and here. Haruna is the biggest cyclone that this region...

/ Mar 15, 2013

Cyclone Haruna response update (1)

On Friday 22nd February 2013, cyclone Haruna made landfall over the southwest coast of Madagascar as a powerful category 2 storm, significantly affecting the communities in the Velondriake area where Blue Ventures works. Two weeks later, the road to Toliara (200km to...

/ Mar 8, 2013

Update from Velondriake following tropical cyclone Haruna

On Friday 22nd February 2013, tropical cyclone Haruna made landfall over the southwest coast of Madagascar as a powerful category 2 storm, with heavy rain and wind speeds of around 150km/h. The village of Andavadoaka and the communities in the...

/ Mar 1, 2013

The sweet taste of success in Saturday School

by Marzia Garin, former Education and Youth Coordinator, Madagascar In mid-November, the children at Saturday School had a very special guest: the Swiss NGO ADES (The Association for the Development of Solar Energy). ADES travelled down to Andavadoaka to teach...

/ Feb 7, 2013

Making moves towards Madagascar’s first mangrove carbon project

by the Blue Forests Team, Madagascar Madagascar’s 5,600 km coastline includes Africa’s third largest extent of mangroves: an estimated 213,000 hectares! These “blue” forests take and store significant amounts of carbon dioxide and support a diverse and in many cases...

/ Dec 7, 2012

Culling me softly…

by Hayley McKenzie, Blue Ventures volunteer, Belize The divers hunt in a pack, eyes peeled for the distinctive feathery spines peeking out from behind a rock, huddled into the reef or perched on top of a spur. On sighting a...

/ Nov 8, 2012

Blue forests: behind the scenes…

by Samir Gandhi, Blue Forests Research Assistant, Madagascar A lot has changed for me in 12 months, undoubtedly for the better. Just over a year ago I was stuck in a dead-end office job; now, I am working for Blue Ventures...

/ Oct 31, 2012

Schools (not) out for summer

by Marzia Garin, Education and Scholarships Coordinator, Madagascar It’s September in Andavadoaka, and like many places across the world, the school year is about to begin. However, unlike many places across the world, these students are genuinely excited about the...

/ Oct 29, 2012