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Barreiro fishers hauling their boat ashore on the island of Maio in Cabo Verde © Jeff Wilson / Fauna & Flora

Barreiro fishers hauling their boat ashore on the island of Maio in Cabo Verde © Jeff Wilson / Fauna & Flora

Cabo Verde

Hotspot in the sea

Cabo Verde is an archipelago nation formed of ten major islands and a number of smaller, uninhabited islets. Unsustainable development, coastal habitat destruction, and illegal and unsustainable fishing have put Cabo Verde’s marine ecosystem under pressure.

Islands in the archipelago feature flat lowland plains typical to older islands in the east, or sharp, jagged mountains reflecting younger, volcanic origins in the west. Most of the islands have a very dry climate, but despite this, they are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species.

On land, overgrazing by domestic animals and invasive species challenge the natural regeneration of endemic plant life amongst other key taxa. Wildlife across both spheres is placed under further strain by the effects of climate change. But in working together with government representatives, conservation partners, and local communities, Fauna & Flora is working to forge a new path for conservation – and getting results.

What wildlife does Cabo Verde support?

In 2022, researchers stated over 7,500 species had been recorded across Cabo Verde’s islands and waters, with a little over half of that number representing marine biodiversity, and the rest made up of plants, fungi, lichens, birds and animals found on land. Of the 3,512 terrestrial species recorded, some 20% are included on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Cabo Verde is recognised as a global hotspot for marine biodiversity and supports a high diversity of emblematic and unique marine animals, including over 20 species of whale, dolphin and porpoise and some 60 types of shark and ray, including lemon sharks, nurse sharks, and blackchin guitarfish. Beaches on a number of islands provide globally important nesting areas for loggerhead turtles and all five endangered sea turtle species forage in Cabo Verdean coastal waters, while the skies host an array of migratory and resident birds.

Uninhabited islets provide critical nesting sites for species such as the Cape Verde shearwater and the Raso lark, while salt marshes and desert sands are havens for Kentish plovers and a resident subspecies of cream-coloured coursers. The archipelago also harbours over 90 endemic plant species, including the phoenix palm, iron tree and Cape Verde dragon tree, known locally as the tamareira, marmulano, and dragoeiro, respectively.

Lemon shark. © Sophie Hart

Lemon shark. © Sophie Hart

Lemon shark.

Group photo of attendees to November 2022 shark monitoring training, Cabo Verde. © Annkathrin Sharp / Fauna & Flora

Group photo of attendees to November 2022 shark monitoring training, Cabo Verde. © Annkathrin Sharp / Fauna & Flora

Group photo of attendees to November 2022 shark monitoring training, Cabo Verde.

Our work to protect Cabo Verde’s biodiversity

Fauna & Flora’s work in Cabo Verde started in 2012, initially in response to pressures placed on marine ecosystems by unsustainable development, coastal habitat destruction and unsustainable and illegal fishing practices. We have worked with local partners to tackle these threats by monitoring key habitats and species, working with local communities and supporting national efforts to develop an expanded network of marine protected areas.

Some of Fauna & Flora’s key marine work has included: supporting local partner Fundação Maio Biodiversidade with the designation of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the approval of Cabo Verde’s first Protected Areas Management plan and the development of the Guardians of the Sea initiative.

Since 2012, Fauna & Flora’s work in Cabo Verde has expanded to include the protection of terrestrial ecosystems. With our local partners, we have conducted surveys and fieldwork to identify and address factors contributing to the decline of emblematic and endemic species including the Cabo Verdean dragon tree, iron tree and phoenix palm.

One approach involved collaborating with our partner Biflores on the island of Brava to tackle overgrazing of domestic animals, which limits the natural regeneration of young plants. Free-roaming goats were fitted with tracking collars to assess their grazing intensity and to monitor where their activity overlapped with vulnerable areas, and livestock-keepers received support to build corrals to limit the free grazing of their goats, as well as attending training on veterinary care, animal husbandry and nutrition. Local authorities and community members participated in the development of an island-wide Sustainable Grazing Management Plan, a first for Cabo Verde. We have also worked with local partners to remove invasive species and establish nurseries across several islands, so that seedlings can be planted across threatened areas to aid in the recovery of endemic species.

More about our work in Cabo Verde