European Campaign Advisor

Location: Either in one of our global offices (Bristol or London – UK) or home-based in a European country.

Closing date for applications: 27th August 2023, 00:00 UTC

Contract status: Staff member if based in the UK – Consultant if based in the EU

Start date: As soon as possible

Contract duration: Six month fixed-term contract with the possibility of extension

Remuneration: circa £40,000 gross per annum depending on location and experience

Reporting to: Head of Advocacy

Salary Band: Advisor

We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities

Blue Ventures is a marine conservation organisation that puts people first. We support coastal fishers in remote and rural communities to rebuild fisheries and restore ocean life. Our work began two decades ago in Madagascar’s remote coastal communities and is growing globally.

Across a dozen countries, we’re partnering with traditional fishers and community organisations to design, scale, strengthen and sustain fisheries management and conservation at the community level. We bring partners together in networks to advocate for reform, and share tools and best practices to support fishing communities across the globe.

Blue Ventures is coordinating a global advocacy coalition called the Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition (TBT Coalition). Launched in September 2021, the coalition brings together more than 60 organisations in over 30 countries, representing small-scale fishers, seafood companies, conservationists, local tourism businesses, scientists, managers and fisheries policy experts. At its core, the TBT Coalition is pro-small-scale fishing, pro-environment and dedicated to establishing and enhancing the rights of coastal communities.

Summary job description

Blue Ventures, through the Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition, is partnering with outdoor company Patagonia to address bottom trawling in Europe.

We are looking for an advisor to develop and deliver a campaign to secure low impact small-scale fishers’ preferential access to financial subsidies and fisheries quota in Europe.

Bottom trawling, particularly in the inshore zone, dramatically reduces the available catch for small-scale fishers, even though these smaller vessels make up the majority of Europe’s fleet (almost 80%) and account for half the people employed in the fishing sector.

In this new role, you’ll be working with members of the BV-led Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition, small-scale fisher groups and civil society organisations, to coordinate the development of an open letter calling for European governments to:

• remove fuel tax exemptions for industrial bottom trawlers and reallocate subsidies to small-scale fishers
• revise the quota allocation process so that it takes greater consideration of fishing practices that contribute to the social, economic, and environmental objectives of fisheries management.

This letter will help to address the current power imbalance between the small-scale fishing sector and the trawling industry. It will build on from a Patagonia-led campaign petition aimed at Member States to end bottom trawling in Europe.

This is a six month contract reporting to the Head of Advocacy and coordinating with BV’s Global Advocacy team in close collaboration with Patagonia’s campaign team and the Transform Bottom Trawling Coalition European Coordination group. There may be occasional travel to meet with collaborators in Europe.

The successful candidate will be a good communicator, with the ability to reach a wide range of audiences, and able to engage diverse groups to co-draft an open letter and campaign strategy. They will ideally have a working knowledge of relevant fisheries policy as well as pre existing relationships with key stakeholders and civil society actors in Europe.

A creative thinker and fast learner, they will be comfortable working in an organised, consultative and inclusive way with a wide diversity of colleagues inside and outside BV.

You will have experience coordinating diverse groups of stakeholders to deliver collaborative projects, leading campaigns and have an understanding of key issues pertaining to European fisheries and marine conservation.

You will demonstrate a proven track record of project design and management, as well as good written communications and fluency in French and English.

We are looking for an individual who is open to new ideas and embraces innovation, who can demonstrate experience of building effective working partnerships for conservation and/or development. Assessment of applications will include candidates’ alignment with BV’s core values and mission to support human rights-based approaches to marine conservation and fisheries management.

You will thrive in environments that are collegiate and ambitious, and be able to demonstrate experience of working independently and solving complex problems in challenging situations.

To download the full job description please click here.