Veta Wade is Local Hero Ocean Awards Finalist

Ocean Advocate Veta Wade of Fish ‘n Fins was selected as one of four finalists in the Local Hero category of the Ocean Awards.

This category recognises the individual or (grassroots/community-based/local) group that has had the most positive impact on the marine environment within their local community this year. The winner will be a recognised leader on marine conservation issues within their community. Special attention will be paid to those working in an unfavourable environment or circumstances.

Nominees for this award must have initiated a promising effort for the benefit of the ocean within their community, or significantly improved, advanced, or revived an existing effort towards new achievements.

Wade has been pioneering the effort to build an ocean conservation ethos on Montserrat, with a focus on hands-on education for youth. Fish ‘n Fins, the organisation Veta founded and leads, has taught many of the island’s children to swim and snorkel and has introduced them to marine ecology and conservation. This work has had beautiful ripple effects throughout the community and is building the next generation of ocean stewards.

Held in partnership with Blue Marine Foundation, one of the UK’s leading ocean conservation charities, the winners will be announced in the June 2020 issue of BOAT International.

Now in its fifth year, the Ocean Awards continue to recognise and reward those that share our commitment to fixing the largest solvable problem on the planet – the crisis in our oceans.

Veta has formed long-term partnerships with major organisations and institutions such as the Waitt Institute, Brown University and Google’s Moonshot Factory. By 2023, Veta plans to set up a Fish ‘n Fins youth committee on every Caribbean island to improve the sustainable use of ocean resources and aims for at least half of Caribbean children to be able to swim by 2030. Most recently, Veta was appointed as a council member for the government’s Conservation and Environmental Management Act.