Luanda – Paula Coelho, Angola’s Secretary of State for Climate Action and Sustainable Development, emphasized the necessity for improved environmental legislation focused on the preservation of sea species and the environmental education of children. Her remarks came during a visit by President João Lourenço to a turtle protection project.

According to Angola Press News Agency, the ministry’s immediate focus will be on turtle conservation, leveraging existing detailed studies on the species. “Let this be the pilot project or model, but these are some of the immediate actions that we’re going to follow up on as the Ministry of the Environment,” she stated. The Ministry of the Environment has been overseeing the Kitabanga Project, aimed at raising public awareness about the conservation of endangered species.

Coelho commended the efforts of partners involved in the project and called for increased sponsorship, particularly from the community, to address future challenges and enhance the country’s environmental protection efforts. She highlighted Angola’s unique geographical position and the presence of the Benguela current, which creates nesting areas for various species, noting that the country offers extensive data for scientific study by national, regional, and international institutions.

The Kitabanga Project, initiated in 2003, is a sea turtle study and conservation initiative led by the biology department of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Agostinho Neto University, with partnerships including the Kissama Foundation and the University of Namibe. Operating under the Ministry of Environment, the project monitors 150 kilometers of coastline across Bengo, Zaire, Benguela, Namibe, and Cuanza Sul provinces. Since its inception, Kitabanga has protected 45,000 nests, resulting in the safe spawning of 4.5 million turtles.