Over the next three years, Blue Ventures will embark on an ambitious programme to replicate locally led marine stewardship efforts across seven sites in Timor-Leste, increasing incomes to coastal communities through replicable low impact models for community-based tourism, and establishing a national learning network to share best practice in community-based marine conservation at scale.

Across all these activities Blue Ventures will maintain its commitment to supporting a new generation of young Timorese conservationists to play a leadership role in building a new movement for locally led marine conservation.

Project Goals:

• Conservation Replication: Blue Ventures aim to expand the scope of our conservation activities − community-based fisheries and habitat monitoring and use of Tara Bandu for marine management − to two new mainland communities.‍
• Accelerating and diversifying community-based tourism: Where there is an opportunity and demand, Blue Ventures will support communities in establishing community-based tourism and homestay initiatives and experiences beyond Atauro.
• ‍Sharing success: As our efforts expand, Blue Ventures will work with community partners to proactively assist emerging learning networks and communities of practice in marine conservation across Timor-Leste.‍
• Nurturing local leadership in conservation: Blue Ventures are committed to building local leadership for conservation, providing our Timorese staff and community partners with support and training in SCUBA diving, marine science, habitat and fisheries monitoring, English language and IT.‍
• Results: By supporting communities to scale up locally-led marine conservation and livelihood diversification efforts and investing in the training and capacity building of community conservationists, this project will accelerate the growth of adoption of community-led marine conservation efforts in Timor-Leste.

You can read more about Wilstar´s partnership Blue Ventures and the impact this project has made to date here (link til underside Blue Venture).

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