Belize Lionfish Jewelry

Blue Ventures Conservation received funding from the WWF Education Fund for Nature to organize a training and capacity building workshop aimed at empowering disadvantaged women from coastal fishing communities. In August of 2015, a three day workshop was held to teach 15 women from seven different coastal fishing communities across Belize how to make jewellery from lionfish fins, tails & spines. A

s an invasive species, the lionfish predates on commercially important fish populations, thereby threatening the livelihoods and wellbeing of Belize’s small-scale fishing families. This project aimed to empower economically and socially marginalized women through independent income streams AND add value to fishermen’s catch of lionfish, by creating a market price for previously discarded fins, tails and spines. The women had been selected from amongst 50 applications received based on an assessment of economic need and personal motivation and drive. Teach the women how to make lionfish jewellery
2. Familiarize the women with basic accounting & costing tools
3. Develop basic branding and marketing strategy
4. Strengthen the group dynamic and relationships amongst the 15 women
Since the workshop, the group registered as an official business entity in Belize with the National Registry as “Belize Lionfish Jewellery” and have added a couple more members, bringing the group to 19. They have a managing executive board with Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Furthermore, as the members are spread out across the coastal districts of Belize, the group also has ‘area representatives’, members who coordinate communication and the movement of supplies and products to members within their respective communities and districts.