Sent 29 April 2021. Part of Little Blue Letter.

“It’s important more women get into diving and monitoring because it’s helping to challenge gender barriers. Women are strong and powerful and can do all the same things men can do. We should be treated as equals.”
~ Mima Gomez, Community Liaison Officer (Blue Ventures) based on Atauro Island, Timor-Leste

Women and data collection 🎣
Over 3 billion people worldwide depend on fish for their protein but communities often lack the data they need to make informed decisions about fisheries management and conservation. At the same time, the crucial contributions of women in small-scale fisheries have long been overlooked, resulting in less sustainable and equitable resource use. Empowering women through data collection can help solve data deficiencies while also enhancing management and conservation.
A group of women collecting data on octopus in Comoros 🐙
On the box 📺
Gif of the week
Octopus are an important fisheries species for many tropical coastal communities. But did you know that some species of octopus can walk? Mind-blowing!
#OceanOptimism 🐟🐠🐡
  • The MIHARI Network and the Madagascar PHE Network have launched the FisherWomen Leadership Programme, aiming to promote leadership opportunities and increase participation of women in community fisheries management. 
  • Yet more evidence that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can provide benefits for regional fisheries. Populations of spiny lobsters off the coast of southern California increased both within MPAs and the adjacent waters outside the MPA boundaries.
​Join the conversation 🔊💻
Wawata Topu 🌊
Wawata Topu (Women Divers in Rasua dialect) is an award-winning documentary about four generations of fisherwomen striving to make a living in the coastal village of Adara, Water Atauro in Timor-Leste. Touching on their daily lives, this film takes a deep dive into the challenges they face in the wake of a changing world. 
Vitamin Sea
Cathedral cove - New Zealand
Credit: Marina (Unsplash)
A turtle taking a breath at the surface 
Credit: Jacob Owens (Unsplash)
A big year for our Ocean! 🌊✨
There are a number of international talks being hosted which will bring leaders together to take action for nature:
  • COP26 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1-12 November, Glasgow) will bring leaders together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement.
  • The G7 Summit (11-13 June), where climate breakdown is on the agenda.
  • COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (11 October, Kunming) to decide on a post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
From the editor
Curated this week by Charlie Young and Ngaio Bowthorpe.
Charlie and Ngaio are part of the Communications team at Blue Ventures,
a community-focused marine conservation organisation working across the coastal tropics.
Editing etc. by Glen Wright. Glen is a researcher studying marine governance, the high seas, and ocean energy. He is a drinker of tea, lover of the sea, and an Oxford comma user. Glen recently published Academia Obscura: The Hidden Silly Side of Higher Education.
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