Grants from MTCF

We're hoping that the workshop will be the catalyst that will really get things moving here in Cabo Verde. We would particularly like to see more enforcement of the law and some prosecutions for killing or harming or disturbing turtles. The laws cover a wide range of activities, from eating turtle meat to having brightly lit ocean front properties to driving quads on beaches, so far there has been one case heard in Sal in 2008. Unfortunately the two men caught red-handed with a female loggerhead in their car claimed that they didn't know they weren't allowed to eat turtle! Verdict? Not guilty. In terms of division of the grant that was applied for, it was agreed that the majority (€25,000) would go to Boa Vista to enable more beaches to be patrolled since the need there was the greatest. A small grant of €2000 was made for equipment for Maio and another small sum €3000 to be spent on training on Maio and Sao Nicolau. Although this doesn't seem like a lot of money to do such a big job, the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund are committed to helping long term and the amount granted in 2009 is likely to be considerably more.