Another great season on the record! We're so thankful to RIU Hotels and Resorts for their continued support of our project and of championing turtle conservation throughout Cabo Verde. Here's a look at our record-breaking 2018 season in their words.

Mais uma ótima temporada registrada! Estamos muito agradecidos a RIU Hotels and Resorts pelo seu apoio contínuo ao nosso projeto e pelo apoio à conservação das tartarugas em todo Cabo Verde. Aqui está uma descrição em nossa temporada recorde de 2018 em suas palavras.

With the support of RIU Hotels & Resorts, two Cape Verdean environmental conservation organisations, Projeto Biodiversidadeand BIOS CV, have contributed to the greatest number of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests ever recorded in the history of Cape Verde. In total, Projeto Biodiversidade recorded 15,000 new nests of this turtle in 2018, four times as many as in 2016, and 96% up on last year. For its part, BIOS CV in Boa Vista recorded 14,598 nests, a figure three times greater than that of 2017.

This season, from 11 June to mid November, is the third consecutive year with record spawning on the island of Sal, with 14,940 nests belonging to 2,939 female loggerhead turtles. Each female makes five nests every season. The NGO has also managed to release 98,195 sea turtle hatchlings from the hatcheries, 12 times greater than the figure in 2015, Projeto Biodiversidade’s first year.

According to data provided by the Cape Verdean association, the most popular nesting areas on the island of Sal are Costa da Fragata with 30% of the nests, Serra Negra, which has the greatest density of nests with 2.4 per metre of beach, and Algodoeiro. A total of 194 turtles were captured in 2018, 183 of which were taken by poachers and 11 were rescued. To protect nests that are in a poor condition or a dangerous location, the association moves them to various hatcheries on the island of Sal. This is the case of the nests on the RIU hotels’ beach which have been relocated to Projeto Biodiversidade’s largest hatchery, where it monitors 71% of the NGO’s 1,958 rehomed nests.

As regards Boa Vista, this year BIOS CV, with the support of RIU Hotels, has identified a total of 14,598 nests of 2,795 female loggerhead turtles on João Barrosa beach. This year the season ran from 20 May to 25 November and 64,528 turtle hatchlings were released from monitored hatcheries. In total, it is estimated that 309,665 turtle hatchlings were born on the five kilometres of João Barrosa beach in 2018.

It's very important to highlight that no adult females were captured this year, although five turtles did die from natural causes. A total of 60 lost females in grave mortal danger in the vicinity of the beach were rescued from wetlands, undergrowth and rocky areas. BIOS CV has monitored 3,411 nesting activities, identifying 2,795 different turtles, of which 1,914 were tagged for the first time. After the extension of the controlled hatcheries supported by RIU Hotels, the NGO has recorded 1,065 nests, 7.3% of the total. Lastly, at the Cabral beach hatchery, 91 nests from the beaches of the capital (Estoril, Chaves and Cabral) have been monitored and 5,997 turtle hatchlings were released and reached the sea.

Besides maintaining the hatcheries, RIU Hotels finances the structural expenses of the NGOs and collaborates in supporting the volunteers, as well as in other environmental activities with tour operators and customers. The hotels also comply with NGO recommendations so as not to alter the species’ environmental habitat.

All in all these are wonderful results considering that the loggerhead turtles on Cape Verde are the third largest population of this species in the world, which at the same time is also one of the 11 most endangered sea turtle populations on the planet. RIU Hotels, BIOS CV and Projeto Biodiversidade are thus strengthening an alliance that started in 2011 and 2016 respectively, in order to protect the wildlife of Cape Verde through plans to protect the environment and the ecosystem of the Sal island and Boa Vista archipelago.

In 2017 Project Biodiversity partnered with the University of Barcelona and Birdlife International to complete an island-wide assessment of migratory bird populations on Sal. This assessment, which focused on examining migration trends and potential environmental threats to the Red-billed Tropicbird, led to the launch of a more extensive assessment to learn more about the island's diverse bird populations. Here, field Director Marcos Hernandez shares more about what inspired these efforts and how new discoveries are helping the bird programme take flight.

Hi Marcos! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role with Project Biodiversity.

I’m one of the founders of Project Biodiversity and the current Director of the project’s bird monitoring programme. Growing up with a love for nature and the natural world, I was always interested in pursuing a career in conservation. Having worked with marine turtles in Costa Rica, I traveled to Cabo Verde to continue building my skills with the species. At the end of 2017, I transitioned away from turtles for a chance to expand the scope of Project Biodiversity’s work into the field of seabird monitoring and conservation. In my current role I’m responsible for strategy design and implementation as well as organising the day-to-day fieldwork. I also serve as the liaison for our partnership with the University of Barcelona Seabird Project.

A lot of people would say that the most interesting wildlife to see on Sal is the turtles. What would you tell them?

I would say - don’t believe everything that you hear! It’s easy to mistake Sal as somewhat of a barren desert, since it is one of the islands with a more arid climate. But the notion that there isn’t any wildlife beyond turtles just isn’t true! Actually, that is one of the reasons we began the bird assessment programme - until last year, no one really knew much about the bird population on Sal, because there wasn’t anyone studying it. Project Biodiversity stepped in to fill that niche.

What we’ve found over the last year has been really eye-opening. We’ve been able to track the breeding and migration of many different species, from Ospreys, to Petrels to Red-billed Tropicbirds. Our team recently discovered a colony of Cape Verde Little Shearwaters, an endemic species of bird that is threatened and is only found on certain islands in the archipelago. Data also revealed that Sal is the most important breeding site for the Red-billed Tropicbird population in West Africa.

In addition to resident bird populations, there are a number of species that nest in Cabo Verde, including Kentish Plovers, among others. So actually, Sal is less a barren desert and more a bird-lover’s paradise!

What make seabirds (and other bird species) so important to the ecosystems of Sal?

Great question! Birds, especially seabirds, have a critical role to play in ecosystems around the world, and the birds of Sal are no exception. The bird populations here play a critical role as “dispersal agents”, carrying seeds and different nutrients across various parts of the island. There are also species that rely on insects as a key element of their diet, so in that way, they also serve as ecosystem controllers. While not the most flattering aspect of birds, the nitrogen from their excrement also plays a key role in supporting the growth of local vegetation.

Seabirds play a particularly critical role as an indicator species, meaning that the health of their population can reflect the health of the ecosystem as a whole, which for a fragile island ecosystem like Sal, is pretty important.

What inspired Project Biodiversity to start the bird monitoring programme?

We knew there was a wide variety of bird species on Sal, but there was very little specific information on which species there were, which ones were residents or migrants, or numbers on pairs or colonies. We began our programme by trying to learn more about the Osprey and Tropicbird populations. The Red-billed Tropicbird is a emblematic species of Cabo Verde, and so we reached out to the University of Barcelona, who had been doing some preliminary work tracking their migratory patterns, to help us design the programme,which started with a census but has since moved on to tracking migratory and feeding patterns of the breeding pairs.

BiosCV, a partner organization of ours on Boa Vista was doing some really interesting work with Osprey species there. We knew there were some pairs here on Sal, so with their guidance and training, our team was able to develop our own monitoring strategy. The rest since then has been our own efforts to continue to grow our understanding of the role these species play in supporting the ecosystems of Sal.

We know that turtles have a pretty specific nesting season here on Sal. Is it the same for the bird populations? Is it different for different species?

The birds do have specific nesting seasons, which varies by species, but generally it is a little more fluid than the turtle nesting season. The Osprey (Guincho) breeds on Sal from around December to April and The Cape Verde Shearwater (Cagarra) breeds largely in the Summer and Autumn months. The Red-billed Tropicbird (Rabo-de-Junco) population here on Sal breeds year round, but the busiest parts of the season are during the winter months. For birds that feed in Sal’s salt marshes and lagoons, the breeding period is also in winter.

What does a day in the field look like?

One of the exciting (and sometimes stressful) things about this kind of work is that no day is the same! I start the day by reviewing what we’re trying to accomplish that day. If it’s a census, it means we’re counting the number of pairs we see to determine the general makeup of the populations. Other days we might be ringing growing chicks or recovering GPS trackers that we deployed a few days before. Since most of these species nest in Sal’s cliffs, we are always prepared to do a lot of rock climbing! There are also days where we head to the islet, a smaller island off the west coast where the only way to get there is by swimming! That takes a little extra preparation including checking the tides and making sure all of our material bags are packed airtight to keep out the water.

The programme has been collecting information for almost two years now. What has the data shown us so far?

We’ve learned so much about the bird populations here on Sal in just the last year alone. Every species has helped us uncover something new. For example, typically Ospreys are a migratory species, but Sal has a resident population that can be found here year round. Thanks to the work that we’re doing with GPS trackers, we’ve been able to learn more about where the population of Tropicbirds fly throughout the breeding season, and that Sal is the most important breeding site for the Tropicbird population in West Africa. Perhaps most significant has been our discovery of a small colony of Cape Verde Shearwater pairs, an endemic species of Cabo Verde thought to only be nesting on a few other islands.

Our data has also recently been published in Marine Policy as a part of a larger study on seabird migratory patterns. The great thing is, this is just the beginning!

Where do you see the bird programme headed in the future?

Right now, we’re focused on continuing to collect as much data as we can to better understand the full scope of the bird species here on Sal. Having this information will help us better understand the threats to their populations and in turn determine the road to protecting them. In the near future we want the data to be able to help inform policy on how to better protect their habitats and share information that can help the government determine and implement broader measures for conserving the island’s unique biodiversity.

How can people interested in the bird programme get involved?

Firstly - don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re still in the early stages of developing a broader volunteer network, but if you’re interested in our work or getting involved - email us at info@biosal.orgor send us a message on Facebook. We always love to collaborate.

And finally, what's your favorite bird?!

A hard question, but I would have to say Tropicbird - I love their colors and the way they fly!

“We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Over the years this quote has been attributed to varying authors, from indigenous chiefs to environmental leaders. Regardless of its origin, its sentiment is a perennial reminder of our role as environmental stewards for the next generation. That same sentiment is the cornerstone of this year's Nha Terra Campaign, a nationwide effort in Cabo Verde to reduce the illegal consumption and trade of turtle meat and raise awareness in support of sea turtle protection. In addition to implementing active measures to halt the physical trade of turtle meat, the campaign aims to tap into the sense of pride Cape Verdeans exude when speaking about Nha Terra – a popular Creole phrase meaning “Our Land” – and harnessing it to inspire collective action to protect an internationally beloved species.

By reflecting on the hope that the future can bring, and the role we play in shaping it, the campaign aims to encourage a collective recognition of the sense of pride, possibility, and opportunity that can come from protecting marine turtles. This year, Project Biodiversity has a lead role in both shaping and delivering the message, with outreach tactics geared towards establishing a greater understanding of how sea turtles and Cape Verdeans are inextricably linked, from their shared history to their role in maintaining the health of the island’s ecosystems.

A Common History

The sea turtle is both a cultural and historical icon throughout Cabo Verde, featured everywhere from the country’s unique art to its national currency. With records of human-turtle interaction dating back to the archipelago’s discovery in the 15th century, marine turtles hold a firm place in the country’s history.

That place, however, hasn’t always been positive. In the early days of European explorers’ journeys between Africa, Europe and America, harvesting marine turtles was a common practice among the the transatlantic fleets. At that time, it served purely as a practice of subsistence since the meat - when dried and salted - kept well while traveling long distances across the ocean.

The practice of killing turtles for their meat remained long after the slave trade economy collapsed as the island’s new inhabitants adopted the explorers’ practices. Poaching reached a height in the early 1970s where the estimated number of nesting turtles killed for consumption hovered around 1,000 annually. As recently as 2007, scientific studies indicated similar numbers on the island of Boa Vista, with as much as 15% of the nesting population being killed. Though various legislation prohibiting poaching have been introduced over the years, it did little to deter poachers and so the hunting continued.

Nha Terra: Campaigning for Change

Since its inaugural launch in 2011, the Nha Terra campaign has been an avenue to inspire participation and collaboration in the protection of the Loggerhead sea turtle. Together, coordinating leaders have worked to reach a wide array of audiences across the country with its message - protecting turtles means protecting an important piece of Cape Verdean heritage. Armed with extensive communication and engagement strategies, campaign leaders work closely with the authorities to create a strong network of turtle-friendly restaurants, businesses, and local community groups that can both take a stand against illegal practices as well as help pass the campaign message to the general public.

This year Project Biodiversity, along with other sea turtle organisations throughout Cabo Verde, are also including perspectives from all over the archipelago as part of their messaging. On Sal, the project is working to infuse this year’s theme at every opportunity, through everything from ongoing features on national radio to a Nha Terra sponsored football tournament!

This year’s campaign also aims to spread the word about new legislation that expands the scope of protection measures for nesting turtles and their habitats. Approved in May of 2018, the new legislation protects not only the turtles themselves, but the nests and dune ecosystems that they need to thrive. It also places harsher penalties on selling, obtaining or consuming any turtle products.

Each year the campaign is spearheaded by TAOLA, the country’s national network of sea turtle and conservation NGOs. In 2017, TAOLA played a crucial role in bringing the need to update existing legislation to the attention of parliament and ministry of environment, resulting in approval of the new legislation by President Jorge Carlos Fonseca in May of 2018. Its name taken from the portuguese translation of Creole (from TArtaruga criOLA), TAOLA aims to bring the the idea “together we are stronger” into action.

Know. Involve. Protect. These are the pillars that inspired the creation of TrekSal: Caminhada Pela Terra, a three-part hike around Sal’s outermost perimeter. Designed in partnership with City Hall, TrekSal's mission is to inspire exploration of the rich biodiversity and breathtaking views Sal has to offer. A small but hearty team, the trekkers embarked on the first stage late Friday afternoon from the end of Igrejinha beach. For most on Sal, this part of Santa Maria’s perimeter is treated as the final frontier. But for this weekend’s TrekSal team, it was just the beginning.

After checking in, distributing supplies and snapping a quick photo, trekkers set off in hot pursuit (both literally and metaphorically) of their destination – the sleepy town of Pedra de Lume. Arriving on Serra Negra beach just before dark, the team settled in for a presentation from Protected Areas’ resident technician Helia Dos Santos. Contrary to popular perception, Sal island is home to a vast array of wildlife beyond just the iconic Loggerhead sea turtle, with 11 regions designated as natural monuments, reserves, or protected areas that play a critical role in preserving the island’s unique biodiversity.

Sheltered from the coastal winds in tents provided by the local military base, Helia shared her knowledge of the island’s flora and fauna, highlighting the particular sights the team would see along the way. With a few months to go until the start of the turtle nesting season, her insights focused primarily on the island’s breeding population of migratory birds and Lemon Sharks, whose pups make their home in the shallow waters of Parda Beach, aptly nicknamed named Shark Bay.

In early hours of Saturday morning, the team embarked on the trail that occupied the bulk of the trek – the roughly 12 km journey from Serra Negra to Pedra de Lume. Along the way, the Project Biodiversity team shared more about Sal’s migratory bird populations, which includes Osprey (known in Portuguese as Guincho) and the Rabo de Junco, or Red-billed Tropicbird. Just last month, the data collected as part of Project Biodiversity’s led to an impressive discovery – that Sal was home to the most important breeding site for the West African population of Red-billed Tropicbirds.

After five hours of walking (with intermittent breaks in between), Trekkers triumphantly reached Pedra de Lume late Saturday afternoon, taking Sunday to commemorate Earth Day with a quick cleanup along the beach. With the first stage of TrekSal complete, it was time to head back to Santa Maria.

What’s next for TrekSal? For Project Biodiversity and its partners in City Hall, it’s time to look ahead to stage two. With Sal as both a haven for innumerable wildlife and a hub for an ever-growing Cape Verdean community, this walk represents a convergence of the two, its aim to take the sense of pride many exude when speaking about Nha Terra – a popular Creole phrase meaning “Our Land” – and harness it to inspire collective action. With two more stages to go, there’s hope that the discoveries made along this year’s TrekSal journey will transform that pride into long-standing commitment to protecting the island’s natural resources.

In the dead of night, a camper van from a local excursion operator picked us up from our hotel and transported us across to Kite Beach, not too far from Santa Maria, on the island of Sal in the Cabo Verdean islands. The excitement and anticipation was clear, as I spoke to several guests also eager to witness one of the many wonders of life – Loggerhead turtle nesting. As we were driven to the site, I was fixated on estimating their size. Prior to the trip I had the privilege of scuba diving at the White Reef diving site, just off the coast, when a pair of mating loggerheads drifted by me and my buddies. In all honesty, the pair looked like a gargantuan drifting boulder; quite the oxymoron, when you think about it.

My attention then drifted to the project itself. Projeto Biodiversiade is a non-governmental organisation, active in encouraging sustainable development and environmental protection through community engagement. Being a proactive marine conservationist at home in the UK, I was keen to see the success of a conservation project abroad and speak to members of the project to understand what their key challenges are when carrying out their work. Most importantly for me, I wanted to see what I, if anything, could do to help with the cause.

The Cabo Verdean Islands are a key site for the turtle nesting season – being the 3rd largest breeding site in the world for loggerheads! The work that Projeto Biodiversite do is integral to the hatchlings survival and improving global conservation efforts. Loggerheads are currently one of the six out seven of turtle species enlisted as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, so conservation efforts like these are integral to the species survival.

On arrival at the site, our tour guide was incredibly informative and enthusiastic about the project, and had a warmth about him which radiated around the whole group. It was surprisingly chilly on the beach and astonishingly dark, but there was the comforting and tranquil sound of waves dragging further down the beach as the tide went out. After a brief talk on keeping all artificial lights off, speaking softly and moving slowly, we embarked on our mission to find a nesting Loggerhead. One thing I truly admired is that they put the needs of the turtles ahead of the tour group. A part of me was quite anxious before I participated in the beach tour that, as we were paying guests, we would be hoarded around the first turtle that arrived in the fear that people would complain if they did not see a turtle. It was refreshing that quite the opposite happened.

The first nesting female we encountered was indeed about to be swarmed around in a circus-like manner it seemed. My heart began beating faster and faster, as I was worried the female would be unsettled by the gatherings of humans around her. To my delight though, our tour guide informed us to hunch down as slowly as possible and gently retreat in the other direction, to allow the turtle her space. What a relief. As an ‘animal-person’, it was thrilling and reassuring to see that the natural activities of these animals were not being exploited and this was at the heart, an educative experience.

Whilst we pressed on along the golden sands of Kite Beach, it was difficult to see without the aid of our guide’s infra-red light, due to everyone being dressed in black. Eventually, after a fair distance had been travelled up the beach, I saw a shadowed, moonlit line heading straight up the beach – a turtle! At last! Slowly, we crouched down so not to disturb her, and our guide carefully approached to see if she’d entered her trance-like state yet, only then could we witness this miracle in action.

When the coast was clear, we huddled around the back of the sand dune. We’d stumbled across a young female, that had tried to nest a whopping six times. All I could think of was how exhausted she must be to shift her enormous weight down the beach. After all the effort of finding a suitable site, laying her eighty-or-so eggs, and then gradually shuffling herself back to the ocean, I was stunned to discover individuals can partake in nesting almost once a fortnight during breeding season! Although, when you think that only 1 in every 1000 hatchlings survives to reproductive age, I suppose it makes sense.

After she had finished laying her eggs, the female rested her eyes for a few moments before beginning to cover her clutch – almost like taking a nap. I couldn’t help but empathise with her after the admirable effort she had just gone through, and to think she’d be doing it all again next week! Impressive, to say the least. Once she had valiantly returned to her oceanic home, we began our journey back to the basecamp to return to our homes, full of wonderment and our minds buzzing with questions to ask our guide on our walk back.

For me, the enthusiasm and shear dedication that is so prominent in all the volunteers is truly inspiring. If you just come on this tour as it’s something you’d “quite like to do”, I can promise you that you will leave with a newfound love and respect for these creatures. With the help of the staff, who explain the answers to any questions you may have in an accessible manner, I really believe this organisation is achieving what it set out to do in a brilliant way.

Projeto Biodiversite is a fantastic non-governmental organisation with an inspiring and dedicate team of local rangers, field biologists and volunteers. Their aim of developing sustainable conservation projects, like the protection and conservation of the Loggerhead turtle, in the hope of inspiring future generations of conservationists is something which I think everyone should get behind. Their work has drastically reduced the number of turtles being lost to poaching, for example, by working with the local community. If you’re travelling to Sal, Cabo Verde I cannot recommend enough that you participate on one of these beach walks organised by an external tour operator, should you get the chance. Better yet, adopt a turtle from the turtle hatchery or, if you want to go the extra mile, volunteer for the 2018 nesting season.

Hannah Rudd

@hannahsrudd

As many of you will surely remember, at the end of 2016 we launched a crowdfunding with the objective of improving the transport means for the sea turtle protection campaign. The goal was 14.000€, and thanks to almost 150 supporters we achieved it after 87 days of campaign. Also thanks to the many people that shared on social media and with their close friends and family.

Knowing the difficulties of finding a suitable truck in good conditions in Sal Island, we spend almost 2 months looking and waiting for it. But we finally found what it will be the project pick-up for the many coming years. And we cannot be more thankful to you all for helping us get to this moment!!

To get a reliable truck will help us get to places where before was almost impossible. Will also help us reduce the budget destined to transport, since we always needed to rent a truck for the nesting season. And it is already helping us in other conservation projects that requires field visits.

We are so happy with all your support, that we wanted to make it clear for everybody. This is why we attached a couple of stickers to the new car, to remember to everybody that it was funded with the donations of all our supporters from the crowdfunding campaign. On each side of the truck you can read now “Vehicle funded with the donations of the 2017 crowdfunding campaign” (in Portuguese on the other side).

We hope you like the new truck as much as we do!

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Novo veiculo pronto para a Temporada de Desova 2017!

Como muitos de vocês seguramente lembrar, no fim de 2016 iniciamos uma campanha de angariação on-line com o objetivo de melhorar o medio de transporte para a campanha de proteção das tartarugas marinhas. O objetivo eram 14.000€, e graças a quase 150 doadores o atingimos depois de 87 dias de campanha. Também graças a toda a gente que partilhou nas redes sociais e com os colegas e família.

Sabendo as dificuldades que a Ilha do Sal tem para encontrar um carro em boas condições, passamos quase 2 meses buscando e esperando. Mas finalmente encontramos o que irá a ser o carro do projeto para os próximos anos. E não podemos estar mais agradecidos com todos vocês por nos ter ajudado para chegar a este momento!!

Ter um carro de confiança vai nos ajudar a chegar a lugares onde antes era quase impossível. Vai nos ajudar também a reduzir os gastos destinados para o transporte, já que sempre tivemos que alugar uma pick-up para a temporada de desova. E já nos está ajudando noutros projetos de conservação que requerem visitas ao campo.

Estamos tão contentos com o seu apoio que queríamos deixar isso claro para toda a gente. É por isso que colocamos 2 autocolantes no novo carro, para lembrar a todas as pessoas que o carro foi financiado com as doações da campanha “crowdfunding” de 2017. Em cada lado do carro se pode ler “Financiado com as doações da campanha crowdfunding 2017” (em inglês no outro lado).

Esperamos que gostem do novo carro tanto como nos!

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Projeto Biodiversidade anuncia as próximas limpezas de praia que organiza conjuntamente com a Câmara Municipal do Sal. A parceria, que já se iniciou no passado Sábado 8 de Abril com a limpeza da praia de Ribeira de Tarafe, tem como objetivo limpar o litoral da Ilha do Sal, e conta com a colaboração das Forças Armadas de Cabo Verde.

A costa leste da Ilha do Sal é a costa mais afetada pelo lixo marinho. Esto é devido as correntes oceânicas que batem nessa costa. A costa leste é também a principal zona de desova das tartarugas marinhas na Ilha do Sal, sendo primordial a sua limpeza para criar um ambiente saudável e seguro para as tartarugas.

Praia Chano, Costa de Fragata, Serra Negra e Igrejinha serão objetivo das próximas limpezas de praia. A praia de Igrejinha será o local da primeira das 4 limpezas programadas. Sendo esta praia muito conhecida e usada pelos moradores de Santa Maria, e devido a sua proximidade a esta, Projeto Biodiversidade e a Câmara Municipal esperam a participação de voluntários e espontâneos moradores da zona.

Durante a última limpeza de praia que contou com a participação de mais de 70 pessoas e durou 2,5 horas, foram recolhidas mais de 4.500 Kg de lixo marinho.

Perto a cada limpeza, informaremos dos horários e os pontos de encontro para cada limpeza de praia.

New Beach Cleanings for Sal Island

Project Biodiversity announces the next beach cleanings organised together with the City Hall of Sal. The initiative, which started last Saturday 8th of April with the beach cleaning at Ribeira de Tarafe, aims to clean all the coastline of Sal Island, and have the collaboration of the Army of Cabo Verde.

The east coast of Sal Island is the most affected by the marine debris. This is because the oceanic currents hit this side of the island. The east coast is also the main nesting site for the sea turtles of Sal, being hugely important their clean-up to ensure a healthy and safety environment for the turtles.

Praia Chano, Costa de Fragata, Serra Negra and Igrejinha will be objective of the next clean-ups. Igrejinha will be target of the first beach cleaning of 4. This is a very well-known and busy beach in Santa Maria and, because its proximity to this city, Project Biodiversity and the City Hall expect the participation of volunteers and spontaneous citizens of the area.

During the last beach cleaning that gathered more than 70 people during 2.5 hours, 4,500 Kg of marine debris were collected.

Close to each beach cleaning, we will inform about the timing and the pick-up points for each activity.

The hotel chain Riu Hotels & Resorts showed, once more, their commitment with the environment of Sal Island, with the signature of a collaboration agreement with Project Biodiversity, non-profit that run conservation programmes and environmental awareness campaigns on Sal since 2015.

With the agreement, that was signed at the end of 2016, Project Biodiversity will receive financial support to implement the association’s activities, as well as fresh food for the staff that spend the Loggerhead nesting season based in the field camp.

Project Biodiversity will run outreach and awareness activities for the clients of the hotels, and will promote sustainable tourism with the visitors of both Riu Palace and Riu Funana. The non-profit will also perform a key role as an environmental adviser for all the activities of the group that could have an impact in the areas surrounding the hotels. The objective will be minimising the possible impact of the touristic activities in the environment.

We consider this new partnership as very positive, since it is the first important big step in the involvement of the private sector with the environment and its conservation. It also gives a clear example that the economic and touristic development of Cabo Verde and the preservation and valorization of the natural areas and resources can thrive together, creating positive synergies that will finally promote the sustainable tourism of Cabo Verde.

Riu Hotels & Resorts is the last partner to join Project Biodiversity's network of collaborators, which is working towards expanding it to sustain the future of its

conservation activities in Sal Island.

Projeto Biodiversidade e Riu Hotels & Resorts parceiros em prol do Meio Ambiente

A cadeia hoteleira Riu Hotels & Resorts expressou mais uma vez a sua preocupação pelo meio ambiente na ilha de Sal, e foi assinado a final de 2016 um acordo de colaboração com a Projeto Biodiversidade, ONG que está a desenvolver programas de conservação e educação ambiental na ilha desde 2015.

Através deste acordo a Projeto Biodiversidade irá recever apoio financeiro para a implementação das atividades da associação, assim como fornecimento de alimentos frescos durante a época de desova das tartarugas marinhas para a alimentação do staff e voluntários instalados no acampamento.

A Projeto Biodiversidade, de sua parte, será responsável pela realização de atividades divulgativas e de sensibilização para os clientes do hotel, e pela promoção de um turismo mais sustentável entre os clientes. A associação terá também um papel fundamental como assessora ambiental das atividades do grupo e que poderião ter uma afetação nas áreas colindantes ao hotel, com o fim de minizar o impacto meio ambiental da atividdade turística no entorno.

A Projeto Biodiversidade valora esta parceria de forma muito positiva, na medida em que constitui um passo para frente pelo envolvimento do setor privado no meio ambiente e conservação, e um claro exemplo de que o desenvolvimento económico e turístico de Cabo Verde e a preservação e a valorização dos espaços e recursos naturais podem ir da mão, criando sinérgias positivas que revertam, finalmente, na promoção do turismo sustentável na ilha e no pais.

Riu Hotels & Resorts é o último parceiro a unir-se a red de parceiros de Projeto Biodiversidade, que visa com expandir o grupo para sustentar o futuro das atividades de conservação na Ilha do Sal.

Cabo Verde is a strategic location for observing the nesting of the Loggerhead turtle females (Caretta caretta). In the last five years, the demand for activities related to turtle watching has exponentially grown in Sal Island. It is estimated that more than 15,000 people annually visit the island's beaches during the nesting period (July to September) to see the Loggerhead females laying their eggs. This business opportunity has been taken advantage of by a growing number of service providers and companies offering tours turtle walks. However, the l

ack of regulation and supervision of this industry, linked to poor performance of some individuals on the beach has generated some negative impacts on turtles and their nests. In this vein, last June 28 was organized a workshop on "Best Practices Turtle Watching Excursions", where Project Biodiversity shared relevant information on best practices and sustainable procedures for turtle watching. The event was the result of a partnership between Sal Guides Association (Guiantur), Project Biodiversity, and The Travel Foundation. Additionally, during the workshop a brochure of Best Practices was distributed, developed in collaboration with the National Environment Directorate (DNA).

In total more than 60 people attended to the workshop, between tour operators and independent guides.

Encorajando Boas Práticas para Observação sustentável das tartarugas marinhas

Cabo Verde é um ponto estratégico para a observação da desova da tartaruga Cabeçuda (Caretta caretta). Nos últimos cinco anos tem-se produzido um aumento exponencial da procura de atividades relacionadas com a observação das tartarugas marinhas na ilha do Sal. Estima-se que mais de 15.000 pessoas visitam anualmente as praias da ilha durante o período de desova para ver as tartarugas fêmeas fazerem os seus ninhos.

Essa oportunidade de negócio vem sendo aproveitada por um número crescente de prestadores de serviço e empresas que oferecem excursões de “turtle walks”. Entretanto, a falta de regulamentação e fiscalização dessa modalidade, juntamente com à fraca capacitação de alguns indivíduos, tem gerado alguns impactos negativos nas tartarugas, nos ninhos e nos filhotes.

É neste contexto que no passado dia 28 de Junho foi organizado um workshop sobre “Boas Práticas na Observação de Tartarugas Marinhas”, onde foram partilhadas informações pertinentes sobre as melhores práticas e procedimentos sustentáveis para a atividade de observação de tartarugas marinhas.

O evento foi fruto de uma parceria entre a Associação de Guias do Sal (Guiantur), a Associação Projecto Biodiversidade, e a Travel Foundation. Adicionalmente, durante o workshop foi distribuída uma panflete de Boas Práticas, elaborada em colaboração com a Direção Nacional do Ambiente.

No total houve a presença de mais de 60 pessoas, entre agências fornecedoras de excursões e guias independentes.

The camp is the place where volunteers and field assistants spend the months of turtle nesting season, and it is also the center of surveillance and conservation activities of marine turtles. Traditionally located on Costa de Fragata beach (Sud-east coast of Sal), this year we have moved to Kite Beach!

The change is the result of the beginning of a partnership with the kite School of Mitu&Djo, who during the nesting season will make available the space and part of the center's facilities to house the project staff, thus simplifying camp maintenance tasks and increasing the level of comfort of the volunteers. Through this collaboration we also expect to have access to a greater number of people (visitors that stop at the kite school) and raise awareness through explanations and informative posters located in the installations.

Escola de Kite Mitu & Djo: Nova lar de Projeto Biodiversidade

O acampamento é um lugar de exprema importância para o sucesso da temporada de desova das tartarugas marinhas, onde voluntários e assistentes de campo, das mais diversas nacionalidades passam vários meses vivendo e executando diversas atividades para melhor ajudar na proteção e conservação das tartarugas marinhas, sendo assim o ponto central das atividades de vigilância. Tradicionalmente situado na praia de costa de Fragata (costa Sul-este do Sal), este ano mudamos para Kite Beach.

Esta mudança é o resultado do início de uma parceria com a Escola de kite de Mitu&Djo, que durante a temporada de desova irão disponibilizar seu espaço e parte das instalações do centro para alojar o pessoal do projeto, simplificando assim as tarefas de manutenção do acampamento e aumentando a nível de conforte para os voluntários. Através desta colaboração esperamos também ter acesso a um número maior de pessoas (visitantes que realizam uma parada na escola) e poder sensibilizá-las através de explicações e dos posters informativos localizados nas instalações.

Environmental education is a mirror that reflects our relationship with the environment around us. In today's society, environmental education is a necessity and should be understood as an indispensable tool for achieving sustainable development, since only through conscious management of the natural resources we will be able to contribute to the sustainability of future generations.

Biodiversity Project designed an environmental education program with the main goals of integrating environmental education into the school curriculum, creating awareness and critical thinking about environmental issues. The program was implemented from February to May of the current year, and in total we conducted 95 activities at the Primary Schools, 16 activities at the High School, and 12 activities to the social associations for children, reaching 4,068 kids and teenagers and 119 educators.

Educando sobre a Natureza

Falar de educação ambiental é refletir o nosso relacionamento com o meio ambiente ao nosso redor. Nas sociedades atuais, a educação ambiental é uma necessidade e deve ser entendida como uma ferramenta indispensável para alcançar um desenvolvimento sustentável, já que é só através de uma gestão consciente dos recursos naturais que se poderá contribuir à sustentabilidade das próximas gerações.

Por isso, a Projeto Biodiversidade tem concebido um Programa de Educação Ambiental que tem como objetivos principais a integração da educação ambiental no currículo escolar, criar uma consciência crítica e incentivar o debate sobre o meio ambiente. O programa foi implementado entre os meses de fevereiro a maio no qual foram realizadas 95 atividades nas escolas de ensino primário, 15 atividades no Liceu de Santa Maria, 1 atividade no Liceu Olavo Moniz e 12 atividades em associações de caris social, abrangendo 4.068 crianças/adolescentes e 119 educadores.

Marine debris affects all oceans and coastal areas in the world. According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), eighty percent of the plastic debris found in oceans comes from land. On Sal, marine debris carried by oceanic currents are daily deposited on the beaches of the island. They are mostly fishing nets, fishing gear and plastic bottles. Among the waste that reaches the east coast of Sal, objects have been found coming from places as far as England, Brazil and even Canada!

In order to minimize the impact of accumulation of marine debris on Sal’s coast, last May 21, in celebration of the National Sea Turtle Day, was organised a multitudinous Beach cleaning in Serra Negra. 115participants joined forces, and in total we collected more than 1,000 kilos of rubbish from the beach.

Special thanks to: Agradecimentos especiais para:

The Travel Foundation Cabo Verde, Sal Cmsal, Centro Juventude Sal Mjuv, 2º Regimento Militar das Forças Armadas, Centro Juvenil de Chã de Matias, Nôs Kasa, Association du Calao asbl - Cap Vert, Alunos do Complexo Educativo de Santa Maria, CAZU Supermercado, Padaria Dado, Aguas de Ponta Preta (APP), Padaria Italiana, and all the volunteers present!

Em luta contra o lixo marinho

O lixo marinho é um problema que afeta todos os oceanos e zonas costeiras no mundo. Segundo estudos realizados pela Administração Oceanográfica e Atmosférica Nacional (NOAA), 80% do lixo marinho procede do continente. Na ilha do Sal acontece o fenómeno que é que uma grande quantidade deste lixo marinho transportado pelas correntes oceânicas é depositado diáriamente nas praias da ilha. Na sua maioria tráta-se de redes de pesca, aparelhos de pesca e garrafas de plástico. Entre o lixo que chega à costa leste de Sal, tem sido encontrado objetos procedentes de lugares tão diversos como Inglaterra, Brasil ou até Canadá!

Com o objetivo de minimizar o impato da acumulação do lixo marinho nas praias do Sal, no passado dia 21 de Maio, em comemoração do dia Cabo Verdiano das Tartarugas Marinhas, foi celebrada uma multitudinária limpeza de Praia em Serra Negra. Houve a participação de115 voluntários que juntaram forças, e no total foram tirados mais do que 1.000 quilos de lixo da praia.

Some days ago we witnessed the darkest side of turtle conservation. Even though marine turtles face many threats all over the world, poaching of the adult for their meat, eggs and shell is still the worse of them. In Sal Island, only the meat is wanted and the rest discarded.

Killing a nesting female has devastating consequences. Each nesting season a female Loggerhead will nest 3 to 7 times, lets say an average of 4. She will lay an average of 80 eggs per nests and from them around 78% will hatch. This means that (312 if we take 5 nests).

It is widely accepted that only 1 from 1,000 hatchlings will survive and arrive to adulthood and, therefore, start spawning again.

This means that to "produce" 1 adult sexually mature turtle you need an average of 4 adult turtles nesting.

Loggerheads turtles are endangered and protected by law in most of the countries where they nest. In Cabo Verde killing a turtle is illegal.

* the numbers are approximations

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Poucos dias atrás testemunhamos a parte mais obscura da conservação das tartarugas. A pesar de que as tartarugas marinhas se enfrentam a muitas ameaças em todo o mundo, a caça furtiva dos adultos para a carne, ovos e carapaça é ainda o pior dos perigos. Na ilha de Sal, somente a carne é procurada e o resto descartado.

Matar uma tartaruga fêmea tem consequências devastadoras. Cada temporada de desova uma tartaruga fêmea vai pôr entre 3 e 7 ninhos, vamos dizer uma média de 4. Ela vai colocar uma média de 80 ovos por desova e destes aproximadamente 78% vão a nascer. (312 se tomamos 5 ninhos).

É geralmente aceitado que apenas 1 tartaruguinha dentre 1.000 vai sobreviver e vai chegar a idade adulta, quando começara a desovar.

Esto significa que para “produzir” 1 tartaruga sexualmente madura é preciso uma média de 4 tartarugas adultas desovando.

As Tartarugas Cabeçudas são ema espécie ameaçada e são protegidas por a lei na maioria dos países onde elas desovam. Em Cabo Verde matar tartarugas é ilegal.

* os números são aproximativos

Sunday 12th of July, from 10:00 to 12:00 on Cabeça de Salinas (Kite Beach).

Projeto Biodiversidade together with Sal Paintball and Explore CV are organising a Beach Cleaning on the beach known as Kite Beach (Costa de Fragata – Cabeça de Salina). This wants to be the first time of an event that will be repeating every year around the same dates.

The rubbish collected is basically marine debris that washes ashore during the whole year and that presents a threat to the sea turtles that nest on the dunes and to the rest of marine and land biodiversity.

More info for the participants:

We will be picking up people on Santa Maria square at 9:00am. If you have car, please meet us there to help with the transport.The beach meeting point will be at Mitu & Djo Kite School at 9:30am.The beach cleaning will run from 10:00am until 12:00am.Water will be supplied.At 12:30 there will be a bit of a barbecue and paintball for the participants at Sal Paintball.Sal City Hall will provide bin bags. No gloves will be provided.Be aware to bring sun lotion and maybe a hat/cap.

We hope to see you there!!

With this uniform one wants to start patrolling ASAP!

Our new uniform does not mean only protection, but also collaboration. With a big logo and a big name we want to be seen by everybody. And we want them to know that when they see this logo the person who is wearing it will be open, friendly and ready to help and cooperate.

Because there is no conservation without cooperation!

After several months of preparation on the desk, our team is getting ready now on the field setting up the protection campaign for the Loggerhead turtle, a globally identified endangered species that nest on the island during the months of June through October. Two campsites are been set up in main nesting zone of the island and the main poaching area respectively, and will be the base for our patrollers. Also, a hatchery has been built to host threatened nests that can’t be left on their original beaches. Our staff is composed by local rangers, field biologists and volunteers that work tirelessly during this time to ensure that these animals are protected from poachers and other human-driven threats, who unfortunately still pose a significant threat to the survival of this species on the island and throughout Cabo Verde.