The Bijagos islands, the only deltaic archipelago on the Atlantic coast of Africa, comprises 80 islands and covers an area of nearly 10,000 km2 off the coast of Guinea Bissau. It is a patchwork of mudflats, mangroves, palm groves and savanna grasslands which produce a wide diversity and abundance of natural resources. The archipelago currently has a population of some 25,000 inhabitants, the vast majority of whom belong to the Bijago ethnic group. The Bijagos’ production system is based on the extensive and diversified use of natural resources within a subsistence economy. Although only about 20 of the islands are permanently inhabited, the entire archipelago is used according to age-old management traditions. The salient feature of the archipelago’s economy is its high degree of self-sufficiency. In recent decades, a number of external influences have begun to jeopardize the harmony of the islands. In order to ensure that these new developments do not destroy the social, cultural and environmental stability underpinning the archipelago, partnerships have been set up under the banner of the Biosphere Reserve. A zoning process defining the types of use allowed in different areas was put in place with the islanders’ participating in all stages. Drawing on technical support from IUCN and financial support from various donors, Guinea Bissau designated two marine protected areas – Orango National Park (1582 km2) and Joao Vieira-Poilao National Marine Park (495 km2). Given this context, the Urok islands (Formosa, Nago and Chedia) Community Protected Area is a model which may better meet the conservation requirements of the archipelago.