Our Thoughts

Characteristics of Successful Sustainable Fishery Initiatives

Over the past six years, Wilderness Markets has assessed sustainable fisheries investment opportunities in more than fifteen different wild capture fisheries worldwide. Our specific objective is defining how to make conservation-based approaches a viable financial alternative to current wild capture fishing practices. We have enjoyed working with numerous international and national partners on field assessments, […]

Is Losing the Amazon Inevitable?

As the Amazon burns, and the world responds, this might be a good time to reflect on some of the key drivers of this tragedy. Three major trends have combined to create the conditions that make it almost inevitable that the forest would be burned. Global population increase & increased global middle class Tragedy of […]

Fisheries Improvements & Social Impacts

Many years ago, when I was a hotel manager at a resort in a national marine park, I was roundly castigated for employing poachers as guards and fishermen as boat operators for our visitors. The prevailing sentiment was one of enforcement to protect the national marine park – and the expulsion of the local people. […]

LEVERAGE LEAD FIRMS: ENDURANCE AND EFFICIENCY

Wilderness Markets’ goal with lead firm projects is to attract private, return-seeking impact investment and complement ongoing work by fishery managers and NGOs to improve fisheries.

IPBES global report: Species extinction rate is accelerating

This recently released report makes for sobering reading for all. One of the key challenges we will all face is how to address the challenge of climate change, environmental conservation, poverty and population. Focusing exclusively on environmental impacts and ignoring the financial and social impacts is not only sustainable, but counterproductive to achieving environmental objectives. […]

Blue Star Foods initiative shows 3BL efforts work

Blue Star Foods, the Miami, Florida based seafood specialist, is proving that it is possible to have a sustainable and profitable business in the seafood industry. The title of a recent article posted on Under Current News sums it up: Blue Star Foods’ founder sees ‘3BL’ effort resonating more with crab buyers. In 2015, Blue […]

Dr. Richard Leakey – Presentation on Conservation

Dr. Richard Leakey recently presented some thoughts on conservation in Cape Town at the 2017 Conservation Lab. He made some excellent comments regarding the current and future challenges of conservation in the age of climate change, population growth and prosperity that need to be incorporated into many Conservation NGO strategies and agendas (particularly in fisheries). […]

Investing for Sustainable Fisheries Needs Funding for Capacity Building

Impact investors are ready to invest increasing amounts of impact capital in sustainable fisheries; what’s missing are  profitable businesses and organizations with the capacity to accept investment. These profitable “investible entities” aren’t emerging apace because the entrepreneurial ecosystem to develop their business capacity is lagging.

Is this what success looks like?

An ongoing discussion between people in the conservation finance community is how we define success. Reviewing the data – which we like to do (see below) – does not demonstrate much success in addressing species or biodiversity loss. Perhaps it is time for a review of what has really worked in the conservation finance. Not […]

Marine Heat Waves More Common and Lasting Longer Globally

A study done by the Marine Heatwaves International Working Group showed that there has been a 54% increase globally in the number of “marine heat wave days” per year since 1925.[1] Published in the Nature Communications journal and cited in News Deeply recently[2], the study cited the warm zone off the Western Australian coast in […]