News
Together for the Med: a network of 46 conservation actors led by BlueSeeds!
Since July 2020, BlueSeeds has been entrusted with the mission, alongside IUCN Med, to lead a consortium of 46 partners benefiting from the financial support of the MAVA Foundation.
For several years, these different actors have been working to reduce the impact of fishing on marine ecosystems. Partners include MedPAN (Network of Mediterranean MPAs in the Mediterranean), SPA/RAC (Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre), WWF Mediterranean, ACCOBAMS, GFCM-FAO, BirdLife, as well as many other NGOs and research institutes. The cessation of the MAVA Foundation’s philanthropic activities in 2022 reinforces the need for cooperation and communication across the joint actions of the partnership.
Last week, the BlueSeeds team led a virtual steering committee to propose its action plan for the coming years. To promote each of the 15 projects, an online platform is currently under construction and will be available by mid-March. In addition, we are tasked with measuring the partnership's overall positive impact in order to promote the joint results of the entire consortium.
An exciting mission that we look forward to sharing with you!
Meet our trainers!
Since
2 weeks now, Guillaume and Timothée have been delivering - in collaboration
with MedPAN and Brijuni National Park - training sessions to managers and
financial officers of 9 Mediterranean MPAs from Lebanon, Egypt, Croatia, Italy,
Turkey and Slovenia.
They have been holding one-to-one meetings to advise each
of these MPAs on business planning and sustainable financial strategies. These
privileged dialogues with local conservationists have shown how strategies to
protect biodiversity vary from country to country, depending on local threats,
natural features, the history of local human settlements and regional or
national legislation.
The support of conservationnists towards
sustainable financing is a core part of BlueSeeds' missions. Feedback on this
training programme from participants is very encouraging so far. BlueSeeds
believes that capacity building is
an essential component of delivering conservation to the Mediterranean Sea.
Start of business plan training courses for MPAs managers
With our partners MedPAN and National Park Brijuni, we begin a one-month training cycle for managers and financial officers from 9 MPAs in the Mediterranean from Croatia, Turkey, Italy, Lebanon, Slovenia, Egypt.
Marine protected areas (MPAs) managers are passionate about marineenvironment. They are biologists and their protection activities are at the core of their mission, leaving little time to develop their #businessplan and implement a sustainable financingstrategy. Yet, this is a crucial activity considering how underfunded #MPAs are today.
The purpose of this training is to provide analytical tools to help MPAs explore their financial data and develop a sustainable business plan.
Thank you to Interreg MED Programme, MAVA Foundation, COGITOproject and Office français de la biodiversité for their financial support.
Happy Blue Year 2021!
The BlueSeeds team wishes you an excellent year 2021!
Working hand in hand with marine conservation actors, we are full of hope for this new year, which will be innovative, resilient, and ethical.
May you reach your project goals and may the ocean heal! Hoping to return to the field as soon as possible!
Participation in the FARNET event bringing together the European network of fisheries areas
Alongside the WWF, we had the pleasure of discussing with representatives of the sector the opportunities for a new project: an initiative to simplify access to European funds for small-scale Mediterranean fishermen wishing to develop sustainable fishing practices.
The team is growing!
After graduating from a Masters in Entrepreneurship and Project Management, Louis created and developed a company in the e-business sector, which was sold 3 years later to its main supplier.
He then joined the support service for the creation and development of CCI Bordeaux Gironde as a business advisor. After 5 years, he developed a support program dedicated to digital start-ups, facilitating their access to financing, their relations with big compagnies as well as their participation to the French Tech ecosystem. He was the coordinator of 2 editions of French Tech Connect (collaborative ecosystem event) and participated in the development of 2 international delegations at CES Las Vegas.
In 2018, he led the coordination of the business incubator of the city of Bordeaux: Le Campement. There, he supported 50 entrepreneurs that include a positive societal impact in their economic models.
He joined the BlueSeeds team in November 2020 with the mission of creating and developing a project incubator/accelerator in line with the challenges of marine conservation.
Common evolution of the HQWW - Whale Watching label
In the context of the High Quality Whale-Watching® label, MIRACETI and BlueSeeds have brought together all the stakeholders involved in bringing this label to life: operators, institutions, technicians and financiers. The objective: to discuss the prospects for the development of HQWW® certification.
The team is growing !
Agathe holds a Master’s degree in International and European Environmental Law, graduating with a thesis on integrated coastal zone management in the Mediterranean. To strengthen her curriculum, Agathe earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Policies and Sustainable Development, thereafter specializing in sustainable tourism.
Agathe worked for 3 years on ecotourism projects in Costa Rica, and then for 2 years for the Blue Flag and the Green Key, two ecotourism labels. Committed to the protection of the ocean. She recently led European advocacy actions with Surfrider Foundation Europe, before joining the BlueSeeds team in October 2020 as a communication officer.
Call for expression of interest, Legal consultancy
As part of the first phase of a two-year project (2020 - 2022) for the development of more sustainable fishing practices in the Mediterranean, BlueSeeds and WWF, funded by the MAVA Foundation, are launching a call for expressions of interest for legal advice. The objective is to analyse the legal feasibility of their mechanism to help artisanal fishermen from Croatia, Italy, France and Spain to access European grants from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
Team seminar in Banyuls-sur-mer
After the first two months of intense work, the extended team went for a team seminar in Banyuls-sur-mer. The objectives of the seminar were: to complete a work plan for the coming year, acculturate and to foster team cohesion, to meet the actors of the marine conservation of the famous oceanographic center of Banyuls.
When you say seminar, you also say team bulding! It even seems that a group of 7 sea lion with masks and snorkels were seen in the Cerbères-Banyuls marine reserve observing groupers and the incredible mediterranean protected biodiversity.
When you say seminar, you also say team bulding! It even seems that a group of 7 sea lion with masks and snorkels were seen in the Cerbères-Banyuls marine reserve observing groupers and the incredible mediterranean protected biodiversity.
The team is growing !
Tim is a marine biologist with a doctorate in ecology from the University of La Rochelle on the ecology of seabirds of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories. He works for five years at the University of Cape Town on the interactions between fisheries and marine predators in the Benguela upwelling. In parallel, he collaborates on other projects such as the study of the direct effects of global warming on seabirds, the study of sea snake ecology in the Pacific Ocean, or the identification of marine areas of high conservation priority in the Persian Gulf. Back to France, Timothée lectures ecology for 3 years in Paris at the Marie Curie University, then to future wildlife technicians (BTS Gestion et Protection de la Nature at the EGPN). He then works as a researcher for BLOOM, an NGO where he studies the role of European subsidies in the degradation of marine resources in southern countries.
Thanks to his expertise in marine ecology and his experience as a lecturer, now in the position of training officer, it is Timothée who develops our training courses, making them creative and pedagogical. He also actively contributes to BlueSeeds' R&D and scientific communication activities. Welcome among us Tim!
Thanks to his expertise in marine ecology and his experience as a lecturer, now in the position of training officer, it is Timothée who develops our training courses, making them creative and pedagogical. He also actively contributes to BlueSeeds' R&D and scientific communication activities. Welcome among us Tim!
BlueSeeds is recruiting two mission officers!
The BlueSeeds team is looking for its Communication Officer and its Training Officer!
Strategy, international trainings, capitalisation of experience, creation of educational contents, experience capitalization, science communication to a lay audience, project management, management of international partner networks and field missions... You like intellectual challenges, you want to put your energy into making marine conservation more impactful and sustainable!
Apply before August 14th --> "Join us" in the top right corner.
Strategy, international trainings, capitalisation of experience, creation of educational contents, experience capitalization, science communication to a lay audience, project management, management of international partner networks and field missions... You like intellectual challenges, you want to put your energy into making marine conservation more impactful and sustainable!
Apply before August 14th --> "Join us" in the top right corner.
The team is growing!
We are happy to welcome Nastazia, our new project manager for financing mechanisms. French qualified lawyer, Nastazia also holds a Master's degree in marine biology and conservation from the University of York in England.
Passionate about diving, she has worked in Indonesia, the Maldives and French Polynesia for the protection of sharks. After three years of practice at EY Société d'Avocats in Paris, she decided to put her experience and skills to work for the protection of the oceans and explore funding mechanisms for sustainable marine conservation.
Passionate about diving, she has worked in Indonesia, the Maldives and French Polynesia for the protection of sharks. After three years of practice at EY Société d'Avocats in Paris, she decided to put her experience and skills to work for the protection of the oceans and explore funding mechanisms for sustainable marine conservation.
BlueSeeds moves into the Campement, Darwin Ecosystem
BlueSeeds is moving into its new office at the Campement (https://lecampement-bordeaux.fr/) in the Darwin ecosystem in Bordeaux. As an impact business incubator, we are delighted to be able to work in an ecological office and surrounded by companies in creation!
A new support mission for a local NGO in Tunisia
Through its partnership with the CEPF (Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund), the BlueSeeds team went to Monastir (Tunisia) to continue its support to the local association Notre Grand Bleu, in order to assist its members in structuring the association and increasing its skills. The first two days were an opportunity to validate the general guidelines of the association's 2020-2024 strategy and finalize their standard operational manual (gathering all the protocols necessary for their internal processes). The last two days allowed the BlueSeeds team to train the association as well as the members of the Notre Grand Bleu Junior office on the communication strategy, including the necessary tools and channels.
Results of the call for Blue Businesses
Local interest in the Blue Local Incubator implemented in Lastovo (Croatia) has far exceeded our expectations! Developed in partnership with WWF Adria, the first phase of implementation has collected 21 Blue Business applications for local entrepreneurship around the idea of a sustainable island.
The vision emerging from the first phase outlines the creation of an "eco-oasis of Croatia" which could revitalize the isolated island of Lastovo and stem the departure of its inhabitants to the mainland. The Blue Businesses proposals cover many issues such as fishing with pesca-tourism and fishermen's reconversion projects, agricultural production with the ecological certification granted to the producers of Pijula olive oil, the creation of educational farms, the collection and recycling of bulky waste, as well as many educational, cultural and eco-tourism projects linked to environmental awareness.
The time has come to evaluate the environmental impact of these Blue Businesses, their social impacts on the local community, as well as their economic viability in order to be able to enter the incubation phase. To be continued!
The vision emerging from the first phase outlines the creation of an "eco-oasis of Croatia" which could revitalize the isolated island of Lastovo and stem the departure of its inhabitants to the mainland. The Blue Businesses proposals cover many issues such as fishing with pesca-tourism and fishermen's reconversion projects, agricultural production with the ecological certification granted to the producers of Pijula olive oil, the creation of educational farms, the collection and recycling of bulky waste, as well as many educational, cultural and eco-tourism projects linked to environmental awareness.
The time has come to evaluate the environmental impact of these Blue Businesses, their social impacts on the local community, as well as their economic viability in order to be able to enter the incubation phase. To be continued!
Business plan for Maltese MPAs
Support to MPA managers continues this month with a new mission in Albania and Malta, which includes a training in financial planning and the validation of the business plan for the national MPA network for the period 2020-2027 upon the request of the Maltese Ministry of Environment.
Sustainable finance for the Mediterranean MPA Managers' Network
Blueseeds participated in the Mediterranean MPA Managers Forum (MedPan seminar, Turkey, 12-14 November 2019) and spoke about sustainable finance.
Training in financial planning for Albanian protected areas
Following the various missions in Albania, a two-day training was carried out on financial planning for the implementation of conservation activities. Representatives of all the marine and terrestrial protected areas of the country were present.
First meeting of the Platform for Cooperation of the Mediterranean FLAGs
BlueSeeds organized on the island of Syros in Greece the first working group on MPA and socio-economic development for the Mediterranean FLAGs (Fisheries Local Action Groups). During 3 days, 4 FLAGs coming from Greece and Croatia exchanged on socio-economic development issues related to Marine Protected Areas. This platform will be a tool for sharing solutions that make conservation compatible with sustainable economic activities and local development.
Training mission for Tunisian NGOs
BlueSeeds continues to provide technical support to managers of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean Sea. In September, the team went to Monastir in Tunisia to strengthen the internal management capacities of the NGO Notre Grand Bleu, which is co-managing the future Marine and Coastal Protected Area of the Kuriat Islands. This mission has also been the opportunity to train three Tunisian associations in financial strategy, business plan development and conflict transformation.
Intervention at the G7 Ocean Pavilion in Biarritz
BlueSeeds was present at the Ocean Pavilion of Surfrider Foundation Europe to talk about marine conservation and MPA financing! Find here our intervention alongside Yves Parlier, CEO of Beyond the sea, Muriel Dubois, co-founder of Biarritz Laboratories, Patricia Ricard, vice-president of the Ocean & Climate Platform.
Any blue idea for a green island?
For the third time since May, BlueSeeds has joined the WWF Adria team in Lastovo (Croatia) to set up a Blue Local Incubator. This process aims to foster local entrepreneurship guided by the principles of the Blue Economy: activities that generate socio-economic and environmental benefits. The team had the opportunity to meet local people willing to develop potential ideas : Ivica, a local fisherman, who is starting out in pescatourism; Zarinka, who dreams of opening a tasting room for jams, liqueurs and olive oils she produces; Nives and her husband, who produce wine and want to engage in organic farming. This third mission helped prepare the launch of the call for Blue Business which will remain open until November 15, 2019. Until then, our partners will take turns in the field to support the stakeholders in formulating their ideas for a sustainable island.
First BlueSeeds mission in Croatia
To better understand the stakes of the project, the BlueSeeds team went to the island of Lastovo in Croatia to work with the WWF Adria team developing there a Small-Scale Fishery (SSF) project. On the agenda: understanding the issues related to the local Marine Protected Area (MPA), reflection on alternative income-generating activities for local fishermen and socio-economic development linked to the MPA. At the end of this mission, an innovative approach for marine conservation was proposed to local partners and stakeholders: the Blue Local Incubator.
A multiplication of field missions!
The BlueSeeds team travelled extensively between April and June 2019 to strengthen our network of pilot sites and develop innovative technical solutions for conservation.
Among these, our trip to Cabras, Sardinia, enabled us to work with the Medsea Foundation and the MPA "Peninsola di Sinis - Mal di Ventre" teams on the mechanisms to be put in place to protect the Posidonia meadows, which are abundant in the area. Exchanges with fishermen's cooperatives, yachtsmen's associations and the town council's services have enabled us to gain an exhaustive view of local pressures and issues and to calibrate BlueSeeds support as best as possible.
Among these, our trip to Cabras, Sardinia, enabled us to work with the Medsea Foundation and the MPA "Peninsola di Sinis - Mal di Ventre" teams on the mechanisms to be put in place to protect the Posidonia meadows, which are abundant in the area. Exchanges with fishermen's cooperatives, yachtsmen's associations and the town council's services have enabled us to gain an exhaustive view of local pressures and issues and to calibrate BlueSeeds support as best as possible.
BlueSeeds speaks at the ESAFON conference "Swiss Impact Investment Initiative"
Thomas Binet, founder of BlueSeeds, went to Switzerland to the ESAFON conference "Swiss Impact Investment Initiative" in order to confront the progress of the BlueSeeds project with financial actors interested in marine conservation. This type of event is an opportunity for the team to strengthen its knowledge of the financial sector and to succeed in making the link between the two worlds of conservation and finance, the heart of the BlueSeeds project.
BlueSeeds participates in conservation finance forums
The BlueSeeds team had the opportunity to speak at two events on the theme of conservation finance. As a member of CPIC, the Coalition for Private Investment for Conservation, BlueSeeds participated in a week-long conference bringing together the key players on the subject at the international level. This week was an opportunity to deepen the understanding of investors' needs and build strategic relationships for the platform.
A second event, Blue Invest, took place in Malta in January. On the occasion of a round table on the obstacles and opportunities of financing for projects with environmental impact, BlueSeeds was able to present its approach and expose its vision, resulting from a deep understanding of the projects and the field. Our message: if projects lack financial structuring, investors lack openness and must find alternatives to a risk-led vision!
A second event, Blue Invest, took place in Malta in January. On the occasion of a round table on the obstacles and opportunities of financing for projects with environmental impact, BlueSeeds was able to present its approach and expose its vision, resulting from a deep understanding of the projects and the field. Our message: if projects lack financial structuring, investors lack openness and must find alternatives to a risk-led vision!
BlueSeeds spoke on the Tunisian radio!
Whilst BlueSeeds was still a project carried by Vertigo Lab, Guillaume Le Port was invited by the association Notre Grand Bleu to participate in a radio broadcast in Tunis on Sunday 8 July to present the BlueSeeds project. To watch Guillaume's appearance on the radio, click here (from 17'25'').
Support for the financial sustainability of the future MPA of Kuriat, Tunisia
The BlueSeeders were in Monastir to support the association Notre Grand Bleu in the development of an efficient and sustainable financial strategy.
After a site visit on Saturday, the BlueSeeds team and the members of Notre Grand Bleu conducted two initial working sessions on the association's business model. Meetings with local and national representatives of the Agency for the Protection and Development of the Coastal Zone were also organised in parallel for the sustainability of the management of the future marine and coastal protected area of the Kuriat Islands.
After a site visit on Saturday, the BlueSeeds team and the members of Notre Grand Bleu conducted two initial working sessions on the association's business model. Meetings with local and national representatives of the Agency for the Protection and Development of the Coastal Zone were also organised in parallel for the sustainability of the management of the future marine and coastal protected area of the Kuriat Islands.
BlueSeeds is born!
Vertigo Lab founder, Thomas Binet, founds
BlueSeeds. The BlueSeeds project goes back to a financial study led by Thomas
on Mediterranean MPAs in 2015, which revealed the considerable financing gap
of Mediterranean MPAs. Because MPA effectiveness depends on how well MPAs
are staffed and financed, it became clear there was an urgent need for
Mediterranean MPAs to
secure new streams of income, beyond traditional government and donor
funding. Following this report, the BlueSeeds project ripened slowly, until eventually
BlueSeeds was born and defined as a services agency with the mission to ensure
the financial sustainability of marine conservation projects, like MPAs, and
maximize their environmental and social impacts. Welcome BlueSeeds!
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