Ocean conservation plays a key role in maintaining the natural resources of our world. Water covers over 70 percent of the surface of Earth. Actually, ecosystem services provided by the ocean help in maintaining biodiversity, regulating global temperature, and supplying food and livelihood sources to millions of people worldwide. However, several human activities are putting the ocean in danger. These human activities include pollution, overfishing, and climate change among others. The very small island nation of Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa, has faced a growing problem of ocean preservation.

Clear oceans, beautiful beaches, and a large variety of marine species are the most recognizable features of Cape Verde. There are, however, several threats looming over the seas surrounding Cape Verde. One of the major issues is overexploitation or depletion of many fish species through overfishing. Another significant issue is illegal, unreported, and uncontrolled fishing, and foreign boats often ply Cape Verde's waters without authorization. Another serious threat to the seas of Cape Verde is pollution. The amount of plastic refuse that finds its way onto the nation's shores is an expanding problem. Another major source of pollution that affects the sea-life and lowers the water quality is sewer and farm effluent. Finally, rising sea levels, storms becoming more frequent and powerful, and the acidification of the ocean are all consequences of climate change and each of these has a profound impact on marine ecosystems in Cape Verde.

This means that Cape Verde ocean conservation is faced with a number of challenges; hence, these efforts should take the following key aspects into consideration to overcome the challenges. First, the government should strengthen the enforcement of the laws on the management of fisheries for legal and sustainable fishing. In this regard, it will put much stringency in the laws concerning catch limits, gear limitations, fishing quotas, fishing activity monitoring, and surveys. It will equally entail rigidly implementing the fishing rules and regulations against illegal fishing, especially with regard to enactment of harsher penalties for violators.

Much remains to be done with respect to plastic pollution; stopping single-use plastics, promoting recycling and waste reduction, and investing in infrastructure ensuring proper collection of produced waste. By organizing educational campaigns to raise public awareness on the problem, individuals and businesses can be driven to decrease their use of plastics. Third, the water quality must improve.

This will require some spending not just on wastewater treatment and management systems but also reduction of sources of pollution like agricultural runoff. This also includes enforcing fines to violators, strengthening regulations that ensure minimization of pollution, and promoting sustainable practices for farmers and other stakeholders. Also covered is mainstreaming climate change around all planning and policy aimed toward protection of the world's oceans.

A good indication of proper conservation of the ocean in Cape Verde is the annual Cabo Verde Ocean Week, a forum that brings on board the public and commercial sector players to build discussions and move ahead in the preservation of the oceans. The partners involved in this cooperation effort are the International Union for Conservation of Nature; the Joint Research Center of the European Commission; the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States; and the European Union. BIOPAMA tries to enhance what definitely exists towards biodiversity preservation and sustainable use of natural resources in Cape Verde through better information sharing, capacity building, as well as enhanced decision-making processes. To assist successful conservation efforts, the program basically focuses on improving protected area management and biodiversity data management, and strengthening governance frameworks. Overall, BIOPAMA is to help in building a much stronger and more sustainable future for the natural resources and biodiversity of Cape Verde.

Cape Verde has really come a long way about ocean protection within the past years. It has established maritime patrols, fishing restrictions, as well as other protected areas to conserve marine life ecosystems. But pollution, climate change, and illegal fishing still remain bugs that must be sorted out in the system. Shaping the future for ocean conservation in this island nation shall depend on international cooperation, support, and continuous efforts of the government as well as the local community to address these issues. If adequate management and protection measures remain in place, there is always a hope that future generations will keep on enjoying the unique marine biodiversity on this archipelago.