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...
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...
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...
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...
Supporting women in Mozambique to protect their marine areas
Last night, on the eve of International Women’s Day, Mozambique organised a ministerial-level UN debate about how the security council can work together for the common good of women’s empowerment. We asked Habiba Mussa, our colleague in Mozambique, to tell...
Celebrating fishers on the Kenyan coast
In January this year our partner Bahari Hai organised and hosted a conservation festival in Watamu, a small town on the northern coast of Kenya. They invited us to help with the planning and execution of the activities. Our fisheries...
The Barren Isles – living on the edge of the world
Supported by the Blue Action Fund (BAF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Blue Ventures and its implementing partners, the Aga Khan Foundation, Abalobi, MIHARI, and OSDRM recently began delivering a conservation and community engagement project with communities on the...
Putting communities at the heart of coral reef monitoring in Timor-Leste
Our Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste, Armindo Marques, talks about his journey with BV and training a team of Timorese reef monitoring volunteers.
Voices from COP15
The end of the year brought two major events to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and to decide the fate of humanity, and the future of all life on earth. After Egypt hosted the climate COP27...
Voices of young community leaders
Speaking up for change in Antsahampano village through mangrove conservation. This is the final piece in a four-part series on the voices of young community leaders from Madagascar. Joséphine Besonoa, the community mangrove management association (VOI) technician, speaks on how...
Voices of young community leaders
Encouraging youth to care more for the environment This is the third piece in a four-part series featuring the voices of young community leaders from Madagascar. Fisherwoman Yolande Soamihaja describes her journey as she inspires fellow youth to take on...
Voices of young community leaders
Changemaking through the art of ‘kabary’ speechmaking in Madagascar This post is the second of a 4-part series featuring the voices of young community leaders from Madagascar. In this second part, Landry Jaofasy, a farmer, tells us how he gradually...
Voices of young community leaders
Marie Gorettie; my public commitment to the environment as a youth leader. This post is the first of a four-part series featuring young leaders in Madagascar who are using their voices to protect their communities and the marine environment. Josephine,...