In Cabo Verde, a pioneering program called Guardians of the Sea has reached its 10th anniversary. Since June 2026, the initiative has mobilized 190 fishers from seven of the archipelago\u2019s 10 islands to protect marine ecosystems while conducting their daily fishing work. The program launched on the island of Maio in 2016 and expanded to its seventh island, S\u00e3o Ant\u00e3o, with 30 guardians in 2024.<\/p>\n
Alberto Martius, a fisher from Fogo Island, volunteers alongside his 18-year-old son Leandro. \u201cI\u2019m proud my son is following in my footsteps, protecting the ocean,\u201d Martius told Mongabay. \u201cAlmost every day, I\u2019m patrolling this area to monitor marine animals and make them return as numerous as they were when I was a little kid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fishers have always been a pillar of Cabo Verde\u2019s economy and identity. The country hosts a fleet of approximately 1,535 vessels, ranging from artisanal to semi-industrial, and the sector provides a livelihood for coastal families.<\/p>\n
Guardians of the Sea arose out of concerns about overfishing and illegal fishing practices, according to Sara Rat\u00e3o, who helped develop it during her tenure as marine program coordinator with the Maio Biodiversity Foundation. \u201cHaving worked with the fishing community and monitored marine life for several years, we observed that numerous illegal activities were occurring, often with little government oversight,\u201d Rat\u00e3o, currently a Ph.D. student studying shark ecology at the University of Porto in Portugal, told Mongabay.<\/p>\n
She listed several illegal practices still happening today: semi-industrial vessels fishing within 3 nautical miles of the coast (prohibited except in few cases), artisanal boats fishing near islands other than their home island, divers with scuba tanks pursuing fish, capture of protected species (sea turtles and hammerhead sharks), and non-compliance with temporary fishing closures.<\/p>\n
Run by eight local and international NGOs and led by the Maio Biodiversity Foundation at the national level, the program trains and supports fishers to serve as voluntary ocean observers. Among other tasks, they monitor megafauna and collect data on illegal activities during their fishing trips.<\/p>\n
Fishers from Maio conducted a total of 139,181 patrol trips and recorded 2,338 sightings of marine megafauna between 2016 and 2025, said Thais Macedo, the program\u2019s coordinator with Maio Biodiversity Foundation. Over the same period, they documented 513 instances of illicit activities in the waters surrounding the island, mostly involving small-scale nearshore fishing vessels. The Foundation did not provide data for other islands or the program as a whole.<\/p>\n
Macedo noted the monitoring system is not intended as an enforcement mechanism. Limited institutional capacity and economic resources constrain authorities\u2019 ability to enforce fisheries regulations consistently. The only national Maritime Police vessel operating around Maio has been out of commission for several months. Instead, data collected provides an important baseline for understanding patterns of illicit activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe presence of the Guardians acts as a strong deterrent against illegal activities,\u201d Rat\u00e3o said via email. \u201cRespected Guardians leverage their standing within the community to raise awareness among other fishermen regarding the critical importance of long-term, sustainable marine management.\u201d<\/p>\n
Various local NGOs run practical workshops covering conservation topics such as sustainable fishing, marine protected areas (MPAs), ecosystem conservation and community involvement. On Fogo, 40 fishers have joined from four of the island\u2019s seven fishing communities. Projecto Vit\u00f3, the local NGO running the program on Fogo and Brava Island, provides gear for sustainable fishing, GPS equipment, a camera, life jackets, a first aid kit, a megafauna monitoring kit, and a handbook with emergency contacts and species identification. Guardians fill out a daily log to document species they saw.<\/p>\n
Being a guardian brings both benefits and tensions. Mauricio Monteiro Rodrigues, a father of two who has been a fisher for nine years, joined because he felt surrounded by a lack of discipline. \u201cOther fishers consider me more as an activist than as a colleague,\u201d said Marcelino Gomes, who has fished since childhood. \u201cMany believe I\u2019ll report them or that I might act as an informer. Not everyone realizes that this work benefits all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n