Integrated conservation of Terras Salgadas ecosystems (Maio island)

Terras Salgadas (5,849 ha) is the largest protected area on Maio Island, Cape Verde, designated a biodiversity hot spot. It is home to a unique set of salt marshes, sand dunes and lava formations, as well as marine ecosystems with a great diversity of endemic species of seabirds, marine turtles (Caretta caretta) and fish. The site therefore has undeniable ecotourism potential, which is however not known beyond the borders of Cape Verde.
The pressures on these ecosystems have increased very recently: the population occupies increasingly large areas of dunes for agriculture and grazing, a number of 4 x 4 vehicles and quads cause severe erosion and disturb the nesting turtles. while fish stocks are dwindling.
The project is led by a small NGO created in 2010, which benefits from the support of local authorities and communities and is funded by FFI, the MAVA Foundation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service etc.