Blackfish off Cape Verde Islands: the need for future effort to assess distribution, Abundance and interactions with human activities

The history between humans and cetaceans has been documented over time through reports and descriptions. Records of strandings and sightings of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) have been a traditional source of information for the study of species distribution, mortality and seasonal movements. In the Cape Verde Islands, large marine animals are usually found stranded or are captured by the local population, including not only whales, but also big fish and sea turtles. Coastal communities were familiar with the presence of these animals through strandings, direct capture or whaling. This is also true for blackfish, are a non-taxonomic group of cetaceans including, for instance, orcas and pilot whales. Historical records reveal that several species of small cetaceans were hunted and their meat sold and consumed in the Cape Verde Islands. Nowadays, dolphins can still be found quite regularly in the markets. Recent reports indicate that the remains of stranded specimen of blackfish are used for art, craft, decorative purposes and some are on display in institutions and private facilities. Cetaceans are very useful for assessing long term changes, once they are easily identified in historiography and their remains can be found, also contributing to present day biological and environmental knowledge and conservation. Furthermore, their remains contain biological information that can be extracted, keeping in mind its future conservation.