(Bloomberg) -- Cabo Verde, a West African archipelago, opened a refurbished port on an island home to turtles and lemon sharks to boost sustainable trade and tourism.

Repairing the facility on the island of Maio along with other projects including setting up desalinization plants and waste management services cost $42 million, the European Commission said in a statement. The projects were financed by lenders including the European Union, the African Development Bank, and the Germany’s development bank, according to the statement. 

Tourism accounts for about 25% of the economy in the nation -- made up of 10 islands -- which according to the World Bank doesn’t have much mineral resources. Just 10% of Cabo Verde’s land is arable. That makes it crucial for the archipelago to develop the island that’s a biosphere reserve. 

“Cabo Verde will be able to welcome increasing numbers of tourists,” Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships said in the statement. “While maintaining the highest environmental and social standards that are so necessary to ensure long-lasting benefits.”

Maio is home to 256 different animal species. The port will also improve connectivity between Cabo Verde’s capital Praia and the main cities of Senegal and Ivory Coast.

“It will have an impact in boosting the island’s economy, attracting private investment, promoting mobility and employment,” Cabo Verde’s Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva said in the statement. 

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