Projeto Biodiversidade and Bios.CV, two environmental conservation organizations from Cape Verde, recently announced a successful 2022 loggerhead sea turtle nesting season.

RIU Hotels & Resorts, which operates six hotels in the destination and prioritizes the protection and conservation of its biodiversity as part of its CSR objectives, has supported these organizations for years.

Hatching took place on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista in Cape Verde, an archipelago that has established itself as one of this species’ most important breeding grounds in the world.

Projeto Biodiversidade recorded 16,033 nests on the island of Sal. Of these, 1,715 were distributed among the organization’s 5 hatcheries, which released 76,231 hatchlings into the sea.

The largest, located on the beach in front of RIU’s hotels on the island, was home to more than half of these nests.

What’s more, the organization patrolled 24.2 km of the island’s coastline and monitored 4,266 turtles. On the island of Sal, all nests in built-up areas are protected in hatcheries, which play a key role in minimizng the impact of tourism and light pollution.

Another important achievement this season was the reduction in turtle hunting, falling from 440 catches in 2021 to 135 in 2022. To better protect the nests, the hatcheries are monitored and supervised by Bios.CV and Projeto Biodiversidade volunteers.

Thanks to the hotel chain’s support, part of the surveillance team, which is made up of some twenty people, have a camp on the beach.

In this way, the company helps protect the loggerhead sea turtle, which is classified as vulnerable in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. This means that it is at high risk of becoming an endangered species.

RIU’s contribution to this project is part of its objective to increase social investment in all destinations where it operates, striking a balance between its business presence and involvement in local development.

Projeto Biodiversidade is a non-profit association in Cape Verde that is committed to protecting wildlife through community-driven environmental conservation plans on the island of Sal.

It focuses on the study and conservation of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta Caretta). For more information: https://es.projectbiodiversity.org/

Bios Cabo Verde is an association that works to protect the environment on the island of Boa Vista, focusing on the study and conservation of turtles, seabirds and cetaceans.

For more information: https://bioscaboverde.com/