The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has been named the winner in the conservation of threatened species category of the inaugural IUCN–Huawei Tech4Nature Award. The award was announced during the IUCN World Conservation Congress, held in Abu Dhabi in October 2025.
The award is part of Tech4Nature, a global partnership launched by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Huawei in 2020. The initiative supports and scales technology-enabled conservation solutions that deliver measurable benefits for nature and people.
Along the coastline of Odisha in eastern India, conservation and livelihoods intersect at sea. Each year, endangered Olive Ridley turtles migrate to the coast for mass nesting. At the same time, coastal fishing communities depend on these waters for income, food security and daily survival.
To protect turtle habitats during key nesting periods, no-fishing zones are established near river mouths and within marine sanctuary areas. However, without practical tools to identify these zones at sea, fishers may unintentionally enter restricted areas, risking fines, equipment loss and harm to an already threatened species.
MSSRF’s award-winning solution demonstrates how a well-designed digital tool can support both species protection and safer decision-making for coastal communities.
The Fisher Friend Mobile Application (FFMA), developed by MSSRF, supports small-scale fishers by providing real-time information on sea conditions, navigation, weather, fishing zones and other essential advisories in eight local dialects.
Its conservation feature is a no-fishing zone alert designed to help protect endangered Olive Ridley turtles along Odisha’s coast.
Using geofencing, the application maps critical turtle habitats, including the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary and key river mouths. When fishers approach within 200 metres of these areas, the application triggers audio alerts and vibration signals, even without internet connectivity. This makes it a practical, field-ready tool that helps avoid accidental violations and reduces pressure on sensitive nesting habitats.
FFMA is based on a simple principle: conservation tools are most effective when they are practical and usable in everyday life.
Rather than only presenting restrictions, the application supports real-time decision-making, helping fishers balance livelihoods with biodiversity protection.
MSSRF reports that the no-fishing zone alert has helped prevent 6,866 intrusions into restricted areas across six coastal districts: Ganjam, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Balasore and Bhadrak.
Capacity building is also central to the approach. Training fishers to use smartphones and navigate the application helps ensure that the technology is accessible and trusted in practice.
In this way, the solution contributes to:
PANORAMA is a global partnership that promotes peer-to-peer learning by documenting and sharing proven conservation approaches as “solutions” that others can adapt and replicate. IUCN is a managing partner of PANORAMA and helps advance its work to make practical, field-tested knowledge accessible to practitioners worldwide.
For the Tech4Nature Award, all applications were submitted through the PANORAMA platform. This ensured that solutions could be documented, strengthened and shared beyond the award process itself. Following the awards cycle, a curated Tech4Nature collection on the platform brought together technology-enabled solutions from across the globe, including the MSSRF solution and other shortlisted entries.
The award, therefore, not only recognises outstanding achievement but also contributes to a growing body of shared knowledge on how digital technology can support conservation in practical, responsible, and replicable ways.
The conservation of threatened species category recognises solutions that use technology to improve the protection, monitoring, and long-term survival of species at risk.
MSSRF’s achievement highlights the importance of technologies that are not only innovative, but also grounded in local realities and designed to support coexistence between conservation goals and community needs.
The shortlisted solutions in this category reflect a wide range of approaches across ecosystems and regions.
Other shortlisted solutions featured on PANORAMA include:
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Spotlight: Dr Velvizhi Singaravelu
Dr Velvizhi Singaravelu, Area Director of the Coastal Resources and Fisheries Programme at MSSRF, submitted the winning solution through PANORAMA and has played a leading role in shaping its community-centred approach.
With more than two decades of experience in small-scale fisheries development, she has worked extensively with coastal communities in India on marine biodiversity conservation, fisheries management, food security, climate change, and gender inclusion.
Dr Singaravelu holds a PhD in marine biology and oceanography and leads the team behind the development of the Fisher Friend Mobile Application. Her work focuses on linking conservation and livelihoods through practical, accessible technologies that reach underserved communities and inform policy processes.
She has led more than 20 research and development projects and has received several recognitions, including the Dr Ambedkar Award, Spark Pancharatna Award, K. Chidambaram Memorial Award, and the Women in STEM Award.
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