Tag: small-scale fisheries
The most valuable marine resources in Madagascar
by Fran Humber, Conservation Programmes Manager, UK I have just visited NW Madagascar, speaking to shark fishers and community members to explore the potential for expanding our mobile phone data collection on shark fisheries to this region. Up to this...
Time to sail-a-brate at the Sarteneja Regatta!
by Silvia Parmeggiani, Community Officer, Belize Every year, as April begins, something changes in the village of Sarteneja. It is a slow change at first, but quite noticeable if you have lived here some months. Firstly, the fishermen return to...
Eco-labels and sustainability management in the Island of the Gods
By Olivia Kemp, Sustainable Fisheries Programme Manager, Madagascar Earlier this year I travelled to the Centre of the Universe. Or the island of Bali, Indonesia, as it is also known. The Balinese, who have a deeply rich culture, believe that...
A victory for PHE: Blue Ventures wins the 2014 St Andrews Prize for the Environment
Against the elegant backdrop of the University of St Andrews, I spent an inspiring, exhausting, and at times terrifying three days, competing against two other finalists for the 2014 St Andrews Prize for the Environment.
Blue Ventures in India
By Dr Trevor Jones, Geospatial Analyst & Manager, Blue Carbon Science, Vancouver, Canada Greetings from Vancouver where I write to you in the midst of recovering from my recent travels to the other side of the globe. I’ve just returned...
Setting sail in Maintirano: the early days
by Florence Pichon, Barren Isles Project Coordinator, Maintirano, Madagascar I can hardly believe it’s been two months since I arrived in Maintirano; a sleepy, beautiful coastal town in western Madagascar. Settling in here as the new project coordinator for the...
Mangrove reserve openings in Belo sur Mer: a photo diary
By Jeremie Bossert, Belo sur Mer Conservation Coordinator, Madagascar Mangrove forests provide rich fishing grounds for many coastal people in western Madagascar. Blue Ventures first trialled mangrove reserves – temporary areas closed to all fishing – with the community of...
On the road: tales from your semi-nomadic Conservation Coordinator
By Brian Jones, Conservation Coordinator, Toliara, Madagascar (All photos courtesy of Brian Jones) After almost six years of living in remote villages throughout Madagascar, the modern amenities of Toliara, like hot showers and wifi, were a welcome relief when I...
Tsy manavaky: female fishers find strength through learning
By Olivia Kemp, Sustainable Fisheries Programme Manager, Toliara, Madagascar Andavadoaka beach, 6am. As our team loaded up the comarine pirogue with our gear, we scanned the cloudy skies for signs of what weather surprises might be in store for us...
Staff Q&A with Frances Humber, Conservation Programme Manager
In the eighteenth instalment in our series of Q&As with Blue Ventures staff, we ask Frances Humber, our London-based conservation programme manager, some searching questions about science, conservation and superpowers… What is your professional background? Despite the cliché, I had decided...
Notes from Nosy Mitseo, Madagascar: the legacy of the demand for shark fin
In Madagascar the traditional and artisanal fishery are defined by the type of boat and size of motor you use. Whilst this study focuses on sharks landed in the traditional fishery (non-motorised local sailing pirogues) which dominates south west Madagascar,...
Andika sur Mer reserve opening: a photo diary
Andika-sur-Mer, a vezo fishing village of just over 200 people located about 20 kilometers south of Morondava on Madagascar’s west coast, closed their first temporary mangrove reserve in December of 2011. In this photo slide-show, our Conservation Coordinator, Brian Jones,...
Fisher exchanges to change fisheries
by Shawn Peabody, Country Director, Madagascar Examples of coastal communities coming together to take on overfishing and reduce destructive fishing aren’t too hard to find. In nearly every region there are good examples of these “positive deviants”, as the literature...
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...
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...