About Us | Veta Wade

VETA WADE

Director, Veta Wade

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* "In one estimate, the total net benefit per year of the world’s coral reefs is $29.8 billion. Tourism and recreation account for $9.6 billion of this amount, coastal protection for $9.0 billion, fisheries for $5.7 billion, and biodiversity for $5.5 billion."

Economic Values of Coral Reefs, Mangroves, and Seagrasses: A Global Compilation. Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA

Hi, My name is Veta Wade, thank you for visiting my company website.

I am an outreach consultant from the Caribbean island of Montserrat who works with scientific and local communities towards sustainable solutions in ocean conservation, blue economy, and climate over the past 10 years.

I am focused on building global collaborations that help mobilize community leaders and politicians (in small island states and territories) for success in the new blue economy.

Despite the critical link between the oceans and island livelihoods, there is very little awareness in communities and at policy level on the huge opportunities provided by our reef resource [ valued at minimum 30Bn USD*]; One of the barriers to accessing these opportunities in the Caribbean is the prevalent fear of life below the water.- the unknown. As we transition to this new economy we must prioritize engaging our people in the process of developing our ambitious blue economy policies and programmes.

This is a critical time in the blue economy sector to ensure economic gains are balanced with long term environmental and social equity objectives for small island states and territories. As a result, I decided to become a bridge between our people and the sea.

In 2011, I founded Fish ‘n Fins Inc., a non-profit
organization that now provides over 2000 youth across the Caribbean with opportunities to
learn about local marine life, climate mitigation, and ocean safety. My team and I have delivered pioneering work spanning massive spatial scales and disciplines. In just 5 years I have formed long-term partnerships with major organizations and institutions such as the Waitt Institute, Brown University, and Google’s
Moonshot Factory.

My goal is to support the development of initiatives and approaches that help unlock the potential of the blue economy for restoration and sustainability.

Most recently, I have been named the 2019 Montserrat Ocean Ambassador and I am an
appointed council member for the Montserratian Government’s Conservation and
Environmental Management Act. I have also be judged a Finalist in the prestigious Global
Ocean Awards 2020 (Local Hero Category).

There is a lot of work to do in designing truly sustainable blue pathways for us small islanders and I look forward to doing it with you!

FINALIST GLOBAL OCEAN AWARD 2020 - LOCAL HERO

ISLAND INNOVATION AMBASSADOR 2020

MONTSERRAT OCEAN AMBASSADOR 2019

ADVENTURE AMBASSADOR FOR MONTSERRAT BY THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION 2017