Cape Verde bets €36 million that protecting the ocean can feed its families

Four islands of the Atlantic archipelago are about to show what conservation that pays looks like. A five-year, €36-million project — funded by the Global Environment Facility and run with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization — will help fishermen and the women who sell their fish protect the waters they depend on: sustainable farming, jointly-managed fisheries, restored habitats, nature tourism, and loans so small producers can invest. The government is also winding down beach sand mining, replacing it with sand made from crushed rock and helping mining families find new livelihoods.