Postcards from Ilili

This half of the year, the ilili team has proudly carried our mission across continents, sharing our work, learning from others, and raising the voice of coastal communities on international platforms. In France, our team member Wildres Rodríguez Wood participated in the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, representing Honduras and all of Central America through the Guardianas del Océano program of the Wildlife Conservation Society. As a panelist in the Women and Ocean Governance forum, Wildres brought invaluable insights from indigenous coastal communities. They emphasized the importance of local knowledge in shaping global ocean policy. Her message resonated far beyond the conference. She was also interviewed by RFI (Radio France), and the interview will be turned into a podcast that will be broadcast on more than 300 stations across Latin America. This moment marked not just a personal achievement but a powerful symbol of women leading the way in ocean conservation.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Research Associate Alberto Paniagua participated in the 32nd International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2025) in Brisbane, Australia. He shared the results of his research on the historical distribution and presence of sawfish in La Moskitia, a remote and culturally rich region in eastern Honduras. This research was funded by the Sawfish Conservation Society and supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme and New England Aquarium.

Our Executive Director, Gabriela Ochoa, has also been making waves internationally. Earlier this year, she traveled to Boston to participate in the Lowell Lecture Series hosted by the New England Aquarium and the Marine Conservation Action Fund. Gabriela joined Indonesian shark conservationist Rafid Shidqi for a powerful conversation on the role of communities in shark conservation.

From diving into shared challenges to exploring how culture influences conservation, this exchange underscored the importance of collaborating closely with coastal communities to inform and shape conservation interventions. You can watch her presentation here. She was also recognized as a Shark Champion by the Lewis Pugh Foundation.

These moments matter. They remind us that the work we do in Honduras doesn’t end on the shoreline, and it’s part of a broader, global mission to protect the ocean and those who depend on it. Whether it’s sharing research, representing our communities, or forming new partnerships, ilili’s presence on the world stage is growing, and with it, so is the impact of our work. From Roatán to Nice, from La Moskitia to Brisbane, we are proud to carry the voice of Honduras to the world!

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