Blue Ventures - Company Profile

Blue Ventures - Contact information:

Telephone: 0208 341 9819

Fax: 0208 341 4821

Email: volunteer@blueventures.org

Website: http://www.blueventures.org

Blue Ventures is an award-winning not-for-profit dedicated to working with local communities to conserve threatened marine habitats and resources for the betterment of people and nature. Funded almost entirely through ecotourism revenue, Blue Ventures brings paying volunteers to project sites and trains them in scientific research, community outreach and on-the-ground conservation.

Since 2003, Blue Ventures has had a permanent field research site located along the south west coast of Madagascar. Blue Ventures scientists and volunteers live and work out of a a group of comfortable self-contained wooden eco-cabins situated on a coral outcrop overlooking white sandy beaches and blue lagoon beyond.

Blue Ventures works hand-in-hand with local biologists, marine institutes, NGOs, and area villages to protect the marine resources communities rely upon for survival.

Blue Ventures has helped create community-run marine protected areas that not only conserve marine species but result in greater catches for local fishermen.

Blue Ventures is also working to build an eco-tourism lodge that will be fully owned and managed by local villagers. The eco-lodge will serve as an economic incentive to conserve the region’s natural beauty and resources while providing villagers with a sustainable alternative to destructive fishing practices.

Blue Ventures is also developing mariculture businesses, including algae, seagrass and sea cucumber farming, which will provide local communities with additional sustainable incomes.

Blue Ventures has won national and international recognition for its work. In 2005 Blue Ventures became the first European organisation to receive the SEED Award sponsored by the United Nations and the World Conservation Union to find the most innovative and entrepreneurial partnerships for sustainable development. In 2004 and 2006, Blue Ventures received “Highly Commended” honours from the Responsible Tourism Awards. In 2006, Skal, the world’s largest organisation of travel and tourism professionals, named Blue Ventures winner of its International Ecotourism Award.