Cape Verde Shark Exhibition Inaugurated on World Oceans Day

To mark World Oceans Day, the new exhibition “Guardians of the Sea: Cape Verde Sharks” was presented to the public on June 6 at the Sal Rei Archaeology Museum on the island of Boa Vista. The initiative invites visitors to take a closer look at the universe of sharks that inhabit Cape Verdean waters, covering aspects related to their diversity, biological functioning, ecological role and the main threats they face globally.

The exhibition was curated by MARE researcher Rui Rosa and is part of the NGANDU project (FCT AGA-KHAN/541746579/2019), which funded the initiative. This work was also carried out in partnership with the Cultural Heritage Institute, the Ministry of Culture and Creative Industries, the Cape Verde Ministry of the Sea, and the environmental organization Associação Sphyrna.

The participation of various Cape Verdean institutions in this exhibition highlights the joint effort to raise awareness of the importance of conserving marine life, especially sharks, a species that is often misunderstood and under increasing pressure from human activity.

The exhibition will remain open for the next few months and aims to involve the local community, as well as tourists visiting the island, in an invitation to reflect on the urgent need to protect these species which are fundamental to the balance of the oceans, both in Cape Verde and across the planet.