Defending Guinea-Bissau's Sacred Islands
On a calm October evening, a green turtle slowly makes her way back to the sea, having laid her eggs deep in the sand on Poilão Island. She is but one of seven thousand turtles that congregate here each year to give life. Poilão is part of the Bijagos archipelago, an ecological and cultural treasure that is comprised of eighty islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, with a population of 25,000 people.
The respect attributed by the Bijagos people to certain animal species like the green turtle, and to areas such as inlets and islands, has helped to maintain a delicate balance between their use of resources and the islands' ecosystems.
To protect the rich cultural and natural resources of the islands, the area was designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1996. With Inter Pares' support, the Guinean organization Tiniguena has worked with the islanders to ensure that the ecological integrity of the area is not just protected 'on paper', and that the sustainable forms of farming and fishing that are the basis of life for the Bijagos are preserved. By directly involving local residents in developing a management plan governing the use of resources, Tiniguena and the islanders have sought to ensure food sovereignty based on local knowledge and respect for an area regarded as sacred and life-giving.
However, with few resources, applying the management plan has been difficult. The encroachment of industrial fishing fleets, migrant fishers, and the prospect of oil exploration and ship-breaking yards, are further threats that must be addressed.
Working with local communities, Tiniguena is pursuing a strategy for international recognition of the islands through the designation of the archipelago as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a status that will help protect these sacred islands, and the dreams for the future that they shelter, for generations to come.
We gratefully acknowledge support from the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) through the Alliance Syndicats Tiers-Monde fund.
| Reviewed February 13, 2006 |  |
Publishing Policies |
