Improving the health status of coastal communities through health-environment partnership forums

Soon after joining Yayasan Pesisir Lestari (YPL) in 2021, I had the opportunity to meet our partners integrating health interventions into their conservation work at a forum. I was both excited and nervous to host such a forum with YPL...

/ Mar 4, 2022

Nantenaina: Advocating for collaboration, my journey, and hope from COP26 to COP27

Madagascar is my home, and we have just lived through Cyclone Batsirai. More cyclones came after, and there are more to come. We are all affected by climate change, but coastal communities and exposed to diseases. Capping global temperature increase...

/ Feb 25, 2022

Promoting the use of customary laws to improve community fisheries in Indonesia

This is the final piece in a three-part series on the use of customary laws known locally as sasi that seek to harness a more sustainable relationship between man and nature. Sasi is a set of customary laws currently used...

/ Feb 16, 2022

Participatory mud crab monitoring paves way to sustainable mangrove management

The livelihoods of many Indonesian coastal communities, like the Perigi Raja and Sapat communities of Indragiri Hilir Regency of Riau Province, depend on mud crab fisheries to meet their daily needs. The regency has extensive mangrove forests covering up to...

/ Feb 10, 2022

Somali to Kenya: A learning exchange to share knowledge and forge friendships

As we worked to finalise planning for this learning visit, we were unsure how it would turn out. After a year without guests, when COVID-19 travel restrictions eased late last year, we were excited about hosting representatives of Adeso, Secure...

/ Jan 21, 2022

Community conservation offers hope for sustainable fisheries on the Kenyan coast

The situation It used to be easy for fishing communities on the Kenyan coast to know when the seasons would change, the winds would peak, and the sea would be safe to access because the weather forecasts were more stable....

/ Jan 13, 2022

The power of data for community co-management in Tanzania

A history of invisible conflict  When we started working in marine conservation in the early 2000s, we quickly realised that data is an essential tool to help us understand the state of our fisheries and marine ecosystems. We focused mainly...

/ Dec 10, 2021

Darawa fishers: Moving away from destructive fishing to become leaders in coastal resource management

In the early 2000s, some fishers from Darawa island, located southwest of the Kaledupa sub-district of Wakatobi Regency in Indonesia, caught fish by destructive methods. The previously uninhabited island lacked plantations, and the fishers who moved there from the nearby...

/ Nov 17, 2021

Is HIV a hidden epidemic in Madagascar?

Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV through a Health-Environment Partnerships approach I recently joined Blue Ventures as a Technical Advisor on Health-Environment matters, and I was amazed by the strides the team had made. For nearly two decades, Blue Ventures has...

/ Nov 11, 2021

Sustainable living from the sea through community-led seaweed farming.

In Madagascar, members of the community of Belo-sur-Mer – primarily women – have taken up the challenge of village aquaculture. I had no future before seaweed farming. My sons had left the village, and I could not support myself because...

/ Oct 27, 2021

Prioritizing inclusivity and community engagement in conservation and fisheries management in Belize! 

Dangriga Town – known as the ‘culture capital’ of Belize – is a vibrant coastal community nestled amongst the hills and valleys of southern Belize. Tales of its rich heritage can be seen, heard, and felt throughout the town’s streets...

/ Oct 22, 2021

An exchange visit to Pate Island, Lamu Archipelago – inspiring change in community-led fisheries and conservation

Munje to Pate – the start of learning There was hope and excitement as nine community members, seven men, and two ladies from Munje in southeast Kenya, boarded a shuttle bus for a nine-hour journey to Lamu. Our mission was...

/ Oct 13, 2021

Building capacity and strengthening networks – a participatory approach to invasive species management in Belize

The Pivot I can clearly remember waking up at the crack of dawn to the view of a breathtaking sunrise and the voices of eager volunteers who couldn’t wait to gear up. The savory aroma from the kitchen lingered like...

/ Sep 29, 2021

Connecting the dots – ‘Sasi’ and co-management in Maluku, Indonesia

  This post is the second of a 3-part series on the use of customary law (sasi) by communities from Maluku archipelago in Indonesia and how these practices have helped communities to rebuild their fisheries. Read part 1 here. Three...

/ Sep 23, 2021

Revitalising ‘sasi’ – relying on indigenous laws and traditions to protect the ocean in Maluku – Indonesia

This post is the first of a 3-part series on the use of customary law (sasi) by communities from Maluku archipelago in Indonesia and how these practices have helped communities to rebuild their fisheries. My first experience of Sasi September...

/ Sep 15, 2021