Conservation Hero: Fatima Ousseni

Conservation Hero Fatima Ousseni Marine Programme Officer, Blue Ventures, Comoros

Conservation is a field that I did not choose. Fate chose it for me. I started my professional career as an agricultural technician before entering marine conservation.

Having become aware of the challenges faced by communities regarding conservation of natural resources, I decided to get more involved. I wanted to contribute to empower these communities, preserve their resources and improve their livelihoods. I am proud of being part of it and working towards positive change for community-led resource conservation in my country. Everything I knew about the marine environment was a confusing blur in the beginning. However, with the support of my managers and from working directly with communities, I quickly changed my mind and gained a wealth of knowledge. My greatest successes have been in supporting female leaders who are committed to creating women's associations and campaigning for the conservation and management of marine resources, which did not exist on our island or even in the country before. I have faced challenges working out how to effectively engage with communities. Each has its own needs, so it takes time. Creating legitimate and trusted relationships is difficult, as is training and structuring associations to be autonomous in managing themselves long-term. The challenges are worth it when I see the effects of communities becoming more empowered and using their resources to the best of their advantage.

My inspiration comes from working on the ground with fishers and living their reality, especially with the women’s associations. I’m inspired by being part of planning and decision making on marine resource management initiatives at community level. It’s amazing to see the changes in association members’ behaviour in processes concerning resource management. They have learned to work together and consult to make collective decisions, and have gotten better at handling potential conflicts.

Tusk's financial support has played a big part in changing perceptions of conservation. The secretary of the fisherwomen associations was once against fisheries management initiatives, believing they did more damage than good. After discussions with myself and the team, she changed her perspective. Since then she has been heavily involved in leading the association.

I would encourage future conservationists to be patient and collaborative to improve community engagement.

I encourage young people, and especially women, to get involved in marine conservation.

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Fatima Ousseni Credit: Dahari