#38 Angie Brathwaite: How Blue Alliance Manages Marine Protected Areas

Marine conservation faces a tough reality: philanthropic grants are shrinking just as ocean crises accelerate. Drawing boundary lines only creates “paper parks” - marine protected areas lacking financial durability, enforcement, and authentic local ownership.In this episode of Ocean Collaborations, Jan Maisenbacher sits down with Angelique “Angie” Brathwaite, Director of Conservation and Science at Blue Alliance, to unpack what scalable, self-sustaining ocean protection looks like on the ground.With over two million hectares of coral reef under co-management across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Zanzibar, Blue Alliance bridges policy, science, and market realities. Angie outlines their pioneering model of “reef-positive enterprises” -initiatives like restorative sea cucumber aquaculture and regenerative ecotourism that generate commercial revenues to fund ongoing conservation, science monitoring, and local patrol teams.Thanks for reading - and listening! Subscribe for free to receive new posts Crucially, Angie details the human side of impact: hiring local leaders, listening deeply to artisanal fishers, and merging technical science with ancestral knowledge.For ocean changemakers, impact investors, and scientists seeking practical solutions beyond traditional donor cycles, this dialogue delivers an honest, pragmatic masterclass.Tune in now to discover how innovative enterprise and deep collaboration are regenerating our ocean for the long haul. Connect with Angie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelique-brathwaite70Blue Alliance Links:* Internet: https://bluealliance.earth/* on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-alliance-mpa/Angie’s Voice of the Ocean Music: Listen to Natural Mystic from Bob Marley on youtube here (watch it on Substack)Podcast Ocean Collaborations is produced out of Switzerland by janmaisenbacher.com out of Switzerland: https://janmaisenbacher.com/en/ocean-podcast/ Subscribe on Substack, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit janmaisenbacher.substack.com