Hooked

World Oceans Week 2021

World Oceans Week

This week the world turns its attention to our ocean. We’re celebrating World Oceans Week by recognising the critical role that coastal communities can play in protecting our seas. At hundreds of sites across dozens of countries, we’re seeing the tremendous benefits that community-led marine conservation can deliver to people and nature.

Blue Ventures is a marine conservation organisation that puts people first. We support coastal fishers in remote and rural communities to rebuild fisheries, restore ocean life and build lasting pathways to prosperity.

We have a bold ambition: we’re working to create a world where small-scale fishers have bigger catches, better livelihoods and improved food security, and where healthy oceans teem with life for generations to come.

In this edition of Hooked:

Follow our social media channels next week to listen to the voices of coastal people and learn about their deep-rooted connection to the ocean in our new short film series, My Blue Place on Earth.

Community voices

“My father is a fisherman. In the past, he managed to catch big fish near the shore. But now he has to travel long distances over long periods only to return with a small catch… Without fishing, there is no life in our communities''

Afonso Canrithia, an activista from Chocas Mar

In Mozambique’s Nampula Province, dwindling fish stocks are threatening the livelihoods of coastal communities. A group of community volunteers, known locally as activistas, is supporting communities to strengthen their fisheries management measures to help rebuild stocks. Activistas are collecting and analysing fisheries data to inform management, patrolling fishery closures, and building local support for marine protection.

“For me, the closure system is a way for us to increase fishers’ catches and keep our forest safe from illegal loggers. It is because of the closure system that our incomes are increasing. Small crabs can become bigger and older ones can grow a little older, so that yields increase.”

Pak Rusli, a mud crab fisher from Seruat Dua village

For communities living in the dense mangrove forests of Kubu Raya, Indonesia, mud crabs are central to local livelihoods. Over recent years, communities here have developed new ways to protect their fishery through rotational fishery closures and mangrove conservation.

Join the conversation

This week, we’re joining the Too Big to Ignore (TBTI) network to shine a spotlight on small-scale fisheries. Join us for:

‘Where are the small-scale fishers? The impact of 30×30 on coastal communities’

A 60-minute interactive panel session hosted by Blue Ventures and the ICCA Consortium.

Wednesday 2nd June | 9:30 UTC | 10:30 BST

‘Knowledge is power: Building capacity for sustainable small-scale fisheries and coastal communities in a post-COVID digital world’

Hosted by WWF featuring Nisa Syahidah from Yayasan Pesisr Lestari

Tuesday 8th June | 14:30 UTC | 15:30 BST

Toko Telo rewind

At the end of May, we convened a panel of experts to explore the successes and challenges of community-led marine conservation in our latest Toko Telo interactive online conversation. If you missed it, catch up on the recording below

Hear more from Abrar Ahmad (Planet Indonesia), Misbahou Mohamed (Dahari, Comoros), Effy Vessaz (Blue Ventures, Comoros) and Naveen Namboothri, Ph.D, (Dakshin Foundation, India).

This is the first in a series of online conversations focusing on locally led fisheries management. Go to our Toko Telo site to find out more about future episodes.