The winners of the Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development (Seed) Initiative Awards 2005 were announced and celebrated last night at a Gala Awards ceremony in New York.

Blue Ventures was selected as one of the five winners of the Seed Awards, an international contest to find the most promising, innovative and entrepreneurial partnerships for sustainable development. The Awards are run by the Seed Initiative, a partnership between the IUCN -The World Conservation Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Development  Programme (UNDP).

The winners were selected from over 260 entries from 66 countries, representing 1,200 organisations.  They were chosen for their potential to advance sustainable development in their communities and contribute to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, and to demonstrate that, through partnerships between communities, non-governmental organizations, businesses and public authorities, innovative and novel solutions for delivering sustainable development and sustainable livelihoods can be born and fostered.

Blue Ventures’ partnership project  ‘Madagascar’s first community-run, experimental Marine Protected Area’ was chosen as a ‘shining example of how economic development and environmental protection can go hand in hand’, according to the international panel which made the selection.  

The winning project is a unique partnership between the local community, local and international NGOs and institutions aiming to show the economic, conservation and fisheries benefits of Madagascar's first community-run experimental Marine Protected Area (MPA). The MPA, established in November 2004, has the dual purpose of being a nursery ground and safe haven for marine species protected from fishing pressures, while at the same time providing a regional ecotourist attraction, generating revenue for the management of the project and further training and capacity building to make it self-sustaining.  

The announcement of the winning partnerships was made last night by Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP and Achim Steiner, Director General of IUCN – the World Conservation Union, at a reception during the 13th Meeting of the United Nations Committee on Sustainable Development (UN CSD-13) in New York.  Valli Moosa, President of IUCN and Shoji Nishimoto, Assistant Administrator of UNDP were also present on behalf of the Seed partners.

The awards were presented by ministers and diplomats of the countries of the award-winning projects.  His Excellency Ambassador Zina Andrianarivelo, Permanent Representative of the Mission of Madagascar to the UN presented the award to Professor Edouard Mara, Institut Helieutique et des Sciences Marines, University of Toliara and Mr Alasdair Harris, Mr Tom Savage and Ms Anju Nihalani, Blue Ventures Conservation.

Blue Ventures would like to thank Wexas Travel and British Airways Assisting Conservation (BAAC) for their support in assisting Blue Ventures representatives to attend the Seed Awards Ceremony in New York.

Above Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines senior reef scientist Dr. Edouard Mara, Blue Ventures Representatives Ms Anju Nihalani and Tom Savage, standing in front of the United Nations Building, at the UN CSD-13 Meeting.

For further information on the Seed Awards, please contact Darian Stibbe of the Seed Secretariat at info@Seedinit.org, or +44 1865 202 669 (htto://www.Seedinit.org). 

For speeches made about the Seed Initiative and the winners at the Gala Awards Ceremony click here.