Praia, June 16, 2025 (Lusa) - Cabo Verde's Minister of the Sea has highlighted the European Union’s (EU) promise to provide €1 billion to finance blue economy programmes, a commitment made at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference.
“We brought our concerns and projects. The European Union has committed to providing €1 billion to finance blue economy programmes,” said Jorge Santos on Monday at a press conference on the results of the country’s participation in the conference, which took place from June 9–13 in Nice.
The minister explained that Cabo Verde already benefits from EU funds under the European Global Gateway package, which finances the expansion and modernisation of national ports.
At the conference, the country also expressed its intention to ratify by July the agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (Bbnj), an international treaty to protect the high seas.
The document has been approved by the Cabinet and is awaiting parliamentary approval and presidential ratification.
“It has already been ratified by 49 states, and we need 60 for the agreement to enter into force in our countries,” he explained.
Another advance was the presentation of a proposal to create a centre of excellence for oceanography and marine science in Cabo Verde, led by the Technical University of the Atlantic and the Institute of the Sea.
This initiative is supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (Geomar) and the International Atlantic Research Centre (Air Centre), and involves technical sessions with ministerial delegations from the participating countries.
Cabo Verde has also committed to protecting 30% of its exclusive economic zone by 2030.
Currently, only 7% is classified as marine protected areas, mainly along the coast, and the goal is to expand protection with new areas to be proposed.
To improve maritime control and surveillance, the country is investing in technologies such as surface drones capable of patrolling vast maritime areas.
Jorge Santos admitted that, despite surveillance of all ships, there are still difficulties in monitoring artisanal and semi-industrial vessels that do not have the mandatory communication equipment.
He also announced that a memorandum of understanding has been signed with Ocean Quest, a Saudi Arabian scientific and oceanographic research foundation that has already conducted studies in the maritime zone of Cabo Verde.
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