Blue Ventures is a marine conservation organization that puts people first. We support coastal fishers in remote and rural communities to rebuild fisheries, restore ocean life and build lasting pathways to prosperity. Our work began two decades ago in Madagascar’s remote coastal communities and is growing globally.

Across a dozen countries, we’re partnering with traditional fishers and community organizations to design, scale, strengthen and sustain fisheries management and conservation at the community level. We bring partners together in networks to advocate for reform, and share tools and best practices to support fishing communities across the globe.

Summary Job Description

Blue Ventures builds coalitions of aligned organisations to jointly confront globally pervasive threats to coastal fishing communities and promote specific changes in priorities, policies and legislation in global and regional agreements and national commitments to protect the coastal zone and prioritise the rights of communities who depend on healthy coastal ecosystems.

Responsibilities or duties

The Head of Government Engagement and Public Policy – East Africa works nationally, regionally, and in collaboration with the global advocacy team to identify aligned organisations and coordinate these interests to bring a collective vision and narrative to specific campaigns, tackling systemic policy barriers that undermine the achievement of Blue Ventures’ mission of prioritising communities in the protection and management of coastal waters. The strategy focuses on three critical issues:

• Defending coastal communities and small-scale fishers’ rights to access, use and manage traditional fishing grounds
• Securing food sovereignty and security through exclusive access rights for traditional fishing communities to nearshore seas and limiting industrial destructive fishing practices, including bottom trawling
• Improving fisheries governance through transparent and inclusive decision-making.

The Head of Government Engagement and Public Policy – East Africa will play a critical role in developing and leading Blue Ventures’ engagement with government authorities at all levels. This role involves advocating for policies that support community -based fisheries management, ensuring existing policy is effectively implemented, and identifying strategic partnerships with government agencies.

The Head of Government Engagement and Public Policy – East Africa will also specifically be responsible for building strategic relationships with government agencies and stakeholders that are aligned with Blue Ventures’ technical pillars: secure rights, community-based fisheries management, financial inclusion, and food security. Working closely with the Advocacy Team, Technical Team, Partner Network Team and community partners, the manager will help identify cultural, religious, and policy barriers affecting coastal communities and support participatory approaches that amplify community voices in decision-making.

• Defending coastal communities and small-scale fishers’ rights to access, use and manage traditional fishing grounds
• Securing food sovereignty and security through exclusive access rights for traditional fishing communities to nearshore seas and limiting industrial destructive fishing practices, including bottom trawling
• Improving fisheries governance through transparent and inclusive decision-making.
• Developing and leading Blue Ventures’ engagement with government authorities at all levels.
• Advocating for policies that support community-based fisheries management.
• Ensuring existing policy is effectively implemented.
• Identifying strategic partnerships with government agencies.
• Building strategic relationships with government agencies and stakeholders that are aligned with Blue Ventures’ technical pillars: secure rights, community-based fisheries management, financial inclusion, and food security.
• Identifying cultural, religious, and policy barriers affecting coastal communities.
• Supporting participatory approaches that amplify community voices in decision-making.