Ep 26. Alasdair Harris, Executive Director Blue Ventures: Conservation by communities, for communities

"The real disruption in our work has come about as a result of our impact model which is (about) turning conventional approaches to conservation upside down and grounding management of the sea in secure local tenure… management by communities for communities" Alasdair Harris is Founder and Executive Director of the marine conservation organisation, Blue Ventures.  With a mission focused on rebuilding tropical fisheries with coastal communities, Alasdair talks about how developing an impact model that was truly by communities, for communities, has been transformative in sustaining locally led conservation.  We discuss approaches for achieving impact at scale, including Blue Ventures' partnership with United World Schools. The collaboration is aimed at developing an education programme in order to provide holistic support to fishing communities in the poorest regions of Madagascar.  Alasdair shares insights learned on his leadership journey, going from biologist to social entrepreneur to human rights advocate!  We also talk about his hopes and aspirations for the global climate conference, COP26.  Recorded October 2021. Guest Biography  Alasdair Harris is the Founder and Executive Director of Blue Ventures.  Blue Ventures works at the interface of marine protection and poverty alleviation, developing locally led approaches to marine conservation that benefit people and nature alike.   Alasdair holds a PhD in marine ecology and an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. He is an Ashoka fellow, Skoll Awardee, and TED fellow. Links https://blueventures.org/  https://www.unitedworldschools.org/News/launching-in-madagascar  This episode is sponsored by EdenTree Investment Management  https://www.edentreeim.com/