Blue Ventures

📚 New knowledge resource published - Community Capacity Building and Mentoring for Coastal and Marine Resource Governance 🐟 🐙 We recently published a mentorship guide for fisheries governance and capacity building with fisher communities, co-authored by Blue Ventures staff and in collaboration with Coastal and Marine Resources Development (COMRED). The guide, Effective Community Capacity Building and Mentoring for Coastal and Marine Resource Governance is ideal for NGOs, CBOs, and practitioners. It provides proven strategies and case studies for effective community-based fisheries co-management. Explore the guide here: #conservationknowledge #communitybasedconservation #coastalcommunities #smallscalefishers #marineconservation Cliford Ochiel | Jane Muteti | Agatha Ogada | Patrick Kimani (PhD) | Masumi Gudka | Gildas Andriamalala

🌍 We're celebrating ocean stories from the frontline with our debut film festival!🌊 Find out more about the Ocean Guardians Film Festival and submit work here: https://lnkd.in/eqyZaDfM 🏆 Is your organisation working with inspiring ocean leaders? 📽 Have you captured their stories in film? 🤝 Want to get more eyes on your content and connect with like-minded people? Then you should get involved! The event aims to inspire, educate, and mobilise support for sustainable conservation practices, as well as celebrating excellence in storytelling for the planet. Exclusive film screenings - produced by and for community-based ocean conservation and human rights organisations - will take centre stage. #Communitybasedconservation #oceanfilms #conservationstorytelling #marineconservation WaterBear Network | SeaVoice | The Video Consortium

🌍 We're celebrating ocean stories from the frontline with our debut film festival!🌊 Find out more about the Ocean Guardians Film Festival and submit work here: https://lnkd.in/eqyZaDfM 🏆 Is your organisation working with inspiring ocean leaders? 📽 Have you captured their stories in film? 🤝 Want to get more eyes on your content and connect with like-minded people? Then you should get involved! The event aims to inspire, educate, and mobilise support for sustainable conservation practices, as well as celebrating excellence in storytelling for the planet. Exclusive film screenings - produced by and for community-based ocean conservation and human rights organisations - will take centre stage. #Communitybasedconservation #oceanfilms #conservationstorytelling #marineconservation WaterBear Network | SeaVoice | The Video Consortium

📹 Join us on 2nd October as we host a webinar for anyone interested in harnessing storytelling for conservation impact. 🌊 We're partnering with WaterBear Network, The University of Edinburgh and The Video Consortium to dive into the world of video storytelling. 🌍 Our speakers Amber Carter, Chiara Pizzi, Debra Aroko and Randall Mabwa will deliberate the merits of participatory video and co-creation, advocate for NGOs embracing entertainment, and explore why investing in video production can have surprising impact for an organisation’s mission. 🎟 Register for free via the event link below.

🌊 Progress on advocating for coastal communities in West Africa 🐟 Blue Ventures, with funding from Oceans 5, has launched a three-year project in West Africa to address the urgent threats of industrial overfishing and with a mission to safeguard the livelihoods and food security of coastal communities. With local voices leading the charge, this project aims to challenge harmful fishing practices, enhance governance, and support small-scale fishers who are vital to the region’s food systems and economies. The programme will also strengthen regional advocacy efforts, promote transparency, and foster sustainable fisheries management in Senegal, Gambia, Cabo Verde, and Cameroon. Dive into this blog, written in collaboration with the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency, to learn more about our efforts to protect West Africa’s marine ecosystems! https://lnkd.in/eBH5j_nn 🐟🌍 #SustainableFisheries #MarineConservation #OceanAdvocacy #TransparencyInFisheries #WestAfrica Image by Garth Cripps

🌿 Mangrove Restoration Success in Sanyang, The Gambia 🌿 Our partner, the SANYEPD youth association in Sanyang, Gambia, recently mobilised over 350 community members to plant 60,000 mangrove propagules across three hectares! This community-led initiative, supported by Blue Ventures, builds on the success of previous years — last year alone saw 12,000 thriving mangroves planted. With participants from Senegal and The Gambia, the event was about more than a mangrove restoration effort - it strengthened collaboration, encouraged knowledge sharing, and reinforced the community’s commitment to environmental protection. The head of SANYEPD, Habib Bojang, highlighted the incredible community spirit: “This year, we included a three-day camp with capacity-building activities and creative engagement, and everyone came together to understand the importance of restoration efforts. This is the one of most successful mangrove restoration events in the Gambia.” To learn more about the inspiring youth group and keep up with their work follow their Facebook channel here https://lnkd.in/eaJVjWZy #MangroveRestoration #CommunityLed #Conservation #EnvironmentalProtection #BlueVentures #TheGambia #SustainableFisheries

More good news from coastal East Africa 🌍   🌊 Fisher communities in Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania 🇹🇿 recently opened their first octopus fishery closure with incredible results 🐙     On day one, 59 gleaners harvested an impressive 396 octopus, weighing close to one tonne and valued at $1,371 - a big win for community-led fisheries management in the region. Find out more about the importance of octopus fisheries here: https://lnkd.in/dtPRHnPG #CommunityLedConservation #OctopusFisheries #SmallScaleFisheries #FoodSecurity

🐙 The Munje Beach Management Unit octopus fishery is now open! 🌊 Exciting news from the east African coastline as the Munje BMU in Kwale County, southern Kenya, celebrates its 3rd successful octopus fishery re-opening with two milestone achievements: 🌍 An innovative cross-learning experience between Munje's male octopus gleaners and women gleaners from Mkwiro BMU also engaged Munje's women members to break cultural barriers and pave the way for improved opportunity for women in sustainable marine resource management. 🚤 And a new, Blue Ventures supported patrol boat will strengthen their conservation efforts across the region. Thanks, as always, to our collaborators Coastal and Marine Resources Development (COMRED) CORDIO East Africa | Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation | Maliasili #SustainableFisheries #MarineConservation #CommunityledConservation #CommunityEmpowerment #Kenya #GenderInclusion

Asia meets Africa: forging new frontiers in safeguarding marine resources 🐠 Our Indonesian team recently hosted an Annual Partners' Forum uniting 23 partners from Asia and Africa to connect grassroots organisations and rekindle the spirit of collaboration following last year's event. 💪 Participants reflected on existing partnerships, highlighted both achievements and challenges and shared experiences with a solution-oriented mindset, paving the way for coastal communities to sustain their fisheries as their main livelihood. "This forum provided a unique opportunity to unite our partners from Asia and Africa, enhancing knowledge-sharing and strengthening our collaborative efforts," said Hanifa Miranda, Head of Partnerships for Asia-Pacific at Blue Ventures. "The insights and strategies discussed here will be instrumental in guiding our collective efforts to tackle the urgent challenges facing our oceans and coastal communities." #community #sharedlearning #asia #africa #conservation

Exciting News from Mkwiro Beach Management Unit (BMU) in Kwale, Kenya! Mkwiro BMU has just taken a groundbreaking step towards sustainable fisheries with the launch of its first-ever octopus fishery closure. 🐙 Supported by Blue Ventures and REEFolution Trust, this is a significant milestone in safeguarding marine resources and boosting the local economy. This milestone brought together stakeholders from various sectors, highlighting the collaborative spirit needed for sustainable fisheries management. The closure has sparked immense excitement, particularly among the women in the community who are at the heart of octopus fishing. By involving them, we ensure they will benefit directly from the enhanced economic resilience it aims to create. The community, eagerly awaiting the reopening of the closure, is keen to see its impact on fishing dynamics and its potential to drive lasting change in local fisheries management across the region. This initiative is more than just a conservation effort; it’s a crucial step towards a sustainable future, empowering the community to play a leading role in protecting their marine resources for future generations. #SustainableFisheries #CommunityEmpowerment #MarineConservation #Innovation