Category: Rebuilding Fisheries
We’re supporting coastal communities to manage their fisheries, establishing periodic reserves and adding value to seafood supply chains.
A journey of crab catching in the mangrove channel
by Sylvia Paulot, Blue Forests Scientist, Madagascar As mangrove conservation officer, I have visited many villages in mangrove forests, and talked much with the local people, but I have never really experienced first-hand the daily life of a fisher from one...
Beach seining and how it damages the marine environment
Photos by Garth Cripps (© Blue Ventures 2012) Beach seine fishing is one of the most destructive fishing gears practiced in many areas of the tropical indo-Pacific. For the past five years Blue Ventures has been working closely with Rare...
Studying octopus in southwest Madagascar
By Daniel Raberinary, Community Conservation Coordinator, Madagascar My name is Daniel Raberinary, I come from Majunga, Madagascar, and studied at the Marine Biology Institute at the University of Toliara (IHSM). I finished my masters degree in 2008, which was about octopus reproduction...
Fighting for sustainable tuna fisheries in Kenya
by Mialy Andriamahefazafy, Environmental Policy Specialist, Madagascar For the last two years I have attended the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Private Sector consultative meetings organised by WWF East Africa. The session gathers NGOs, fishery associations and private operators involved in...
The highs and lows of the octopus project
by Sophie Andriamalala, Southwest Regional Coordinator, Madagascar For the last two weeks the octopus team in Toliara have spent 10 hours a day staring at our computer screens and cleaning, checking and organising over 900 notebooks filled to the brim with...
Asian delights
This is part 2 of the blog series on our recent trip to Hong Kong for the annual Seafood Summit. Read part 1 here: http://blog.blueventures.org/from-toliaras-sights-to-hong-kongs-bright-lights/ by Sophie Benbow, Southwest Regional Coordinator, Madagascar Visiting Hong Kong, ‘Asia’s World City’ as the tourism board...
Declare your support for our oceans!
Here at Blue Ventures we work hard to help conserve the marine riches of Madagascar and Belize, but did you know that there are problems in the developed world too? Once upon a time Europe’s seas teemed with fish such...
Mangrove madness and reserve success in Antanimanimbo
by Jérémie Bossert, Belo sur Mer Conservation Coordinator, Madagascar It’s the 23rd of September 2012, and dawn is breaking on the fifth reserve opening in the Belo sur Mer region, today in the village of Antanimanimbo. After six months without any...
Trading information in Tanzania
by Mialy Andriamahefazafy, Environmental Policy Specialist, Madagascar Last July, Blue Ventures had the chance to share our work in Madagascar during the 16th biennial International Institute of Fishery Economics and Trade (IIFET) conference, in Dar es Salam. The theme of the...
From Toliara’s sights to Hong Kong’s bright lights
by Sophie Benbow, Southwest Regional Coordinator, Madagascar Arriving in Hong Kong direct from Toliara, southwest Madagascar highlighted some fairly stark contrasts. While Toliara is in fact the sixth largest city in Madagascar, bright lights and fast cars it is not....
Nosy Hara: the coral island
I was exceptionally excited to be asked to join a team of scientists to help undertake marine resilience surveys in the Nosy Hara archipelago.
Smartfish-eries and marine protected areas
by Sophie Benbow, Southwest Regional Coordinator, Madagascar I recently travelled to Mauritius to attend a workshop funded by the FAO and the EU funded Smartfish programme. A very exciting opportunity which generated some very jealous comments from my UK based...
Lôlô in the limelight at the fano (turtle) festival in Andranopasy
by Brian Jones, Community Research Coordinator, Madagascar I can’t think of anyone who deserved a t-shirt more than Lôlô… a few hours ago he was in tears after one of our guys, Toto, let it slip to him that he...
Addressing gender differences in natural resource management
by Kame Westerman, Velondriake MPA Project Coordinator, Madagascar Octopus is the most commercially valuable species within the Velondriake LMMA (locally managed marine area), bringing in a substantial portion of household income. Traditionally, women harvest octopus most frequently, venturing out on shallow...
End overfishing or fishing will be over!
by Jo Hudson, Conservation & Research Assistant, London OCEAN2012, Greenpeace, Birdlife International and Oceana have released an animation on overfishing. The animation also includes a reference to the role of fisheries subsidies. This video is to announce the start of European...