Article·5 min read

How tradition, culture, and faith can help us protect the ocean

Dedy Martins

Originally from Balibo, close to the border with Indonesian Timor, Blue Ventures’ Dedy Martins shares his thoughts on the wonders of the ocean, the ancient customary practice of Tara Bandu, and having faith in the younger generation to take part in sustainable tourism and secure Timor-Leste’s future.

Image © Laetitia Clément / Blue Ventures

Dedy Martins
Nov 9, 2020

Image © Laetitia Clément / Blue Ventures

Originally from Balibo, close to the border with Indonesian Timor, Dedy is a Blue Ventures Conservation Officer in Timor-Leste · Blue Ventures
For me, the ocean is the nearest thing to heaven on earth that I have ever experienced, and I really wish all Timorese could experience the ocean someday.
Dedy taking to the water and learning to scuba dive · Blue Ventures
Emerging from a history riddled with conflict, the people of Timor-Leste have retained a strong sense of their own identity and culture · Andy Mann
Our coastal community has maintained Tara Bandu on the water, to help control fishing activities with agreements and written regulations. Through this time-honoured practice, we can help to protect the marine environment and to help sustain ocean ecosystems. 
Timor-Leste hosts a diverse reef coral fauna · Cristina Mittermeier
Dedy enjoying a lunchtime walk on the beach with his fisheries monitoring team · Blue Ventures
I’m inspired by working alongside communities and other partners, both here in Timor-Leste and internationally, to help drive change and solve the conservation challenges ahead.

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Contributors

Dedy Martins

Conservation Officer, Blue Ventures

Originally from Maliana, close to the border with Indonesian Timor, Dedy joined Blue Ventures after a few years with a research organization in the capital Dili, where he worked in office management and HR. In his role as a Blue Ventures Conservation Officer, Dedy supports coastal communities in his homeland while learning more about marine ecosystems.

Blue Ventures

Locally led marine conservation

Blue Ventures is a science-led social enterprise that develops transformative approaches for nurturing and sustaining locally led marine conservation. The organization works in partnership with coastal communities in places where the ocean is vital to the culture and economy.