Category: Programmes

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...

/ Oct 26, 2012

BV’s science informs and engages at the International Coral Reef Symposium

By Dr Tom Oliver, Scientific Advisor to Blue Ventures, Hawaii and Dr Al Harris, Research Director, London. Every four years, the world is brought together by not one, but two kinds of summer Olympics, that build the international ties that...

/ Oct 19, 2012

Diving deep in Belize

by Jen Chapman, Country Coordinator, Belize The queen conch (Strombus gigas) fishery in Belize is valued at approximately US$ 3,000,000  per year and engages over 3,000 licensed fishermen nationally. Despite non-destructive fishing methods (free-divers collect conch off the seafloor by...

/ Oct 15, 2012

VIP expeditions

by Thomas Forwood, volunteer, Belize Generally speaking, life at Bacalar Chico Dive Camp (BCDC) is routine. You get up at 5am, breakfast is at 8am and lunch is at 1pm. In between is diving, marshalling duties and other enjoyable responsibilities,...

/ Oct 9, 2012

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....

/ Oct 5, 2012

Mission possible

by Viviane Jeannie, Scholars Coordinator, Madagascar Part of my job as scholarship coordinator is to purchase school materials for each new school year for all of our sponsored students. In the 2012 – 2013 school year, that meant shopping for...

/ Oct 4, 2012

Kayaks (and kava) to Korea: an insider’s perspective at the IUCN’s World Conservation Congress

by Brian Jones, Conservation Coordinator, Madagascar We’re seated on the floor in a circle at the Blue Planet Pavilion on the 3rd floor of the International Conference Centre in Jeju-Do, South Korea. Confused passers-by bump into each other and turn...

/ Sep 25, 2012

Calling all mothers: Safidy has a new home and maternal & child health programme!

by Dr Clarisse Razanamampionona, Safidy’s Doctor, and Samantha Cockburn, Medical Elective Student. Safidy is part of Blue Ventures’ integrated Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) approach to conservation in the Velondriake area of southwest Madagascar. Safidy, which means “choice” or “freedom...

/ Sep 10, 2012

A message from Madagascar’s largest mangrove forest

by Trevor Jones, Remote Sensing Scientist, Madagascar Greetings from Mahajamba bay, home of Madagascar’s largest mangrove ecosystem. The Blue Ventures Blue Forests team has been stationed here since early August conducting a month long field campaign. Hosted by and working...

/ Sep 5, 2012

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it’s bat fish and sea robin! The bemused wanderings of a marine biologist lost at sea…

by our anonymous contact with BatFish & SeaRobin, Madagascar During a post dinner discussion with a colleague in Belo sur Mer, he mentioned that during his trip to the islands of Kirindy Mite, approximately 20 km west of the village...

/ Aug 29, 2012

War and peace: talking about the Barren Isles

by Olivier Raynaud, Maintirano & Barren Isles Project Coordinator, Madagascar I’ve just arrived in the little town of Maintirano as the new project coordinator for the Barren Isles Marine Protected Area (MPA). My first impression is most definitely that Maintirano...

/ Aug 24, 2012

Bigger, better, faster: ‘The Columbian’ has finally arrived!

by Sarah Beach, Field Scientist, Belize This expedition marked another exciting milestone in the history of Blue Ventures Belize (BVB). After almost a year in the making, we finally welcomed the arrival of our brand new boat. Built in Mexico...

/ Aug 21, 2012

A day in the life…

by Kirsty Rankin, BV volunteer, Madagascar Waking up to the relentless crash of breaking waves on halfmoon beach, I groan, turn over, but just before I close my eyes to the temptation of continued slumber I catch the dim glow...

/ Aug 17, 2012

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.

/ Aug 2, 2012

The (not so) rum diaries: life in Belize

by Anders Hartmann, BV volunteer, Belize After 1 week at Bacalar Chico Dive Camp (BCDC) we have now learned the routines and the focus has moved towards surveys and passing the fish and benthic tests, both on computer and in...

/ Jul 25, 2012