President of the Government announces that legal framework for Marine Protected Areas in the Azores is ready - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, announced today at the "Our Ocean Conference" in Athens, Greece, that the legal framework for the implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Region is ready and will soon be submitted to the Regional Parliament.

"The Regional Government, under my leadership, has committed to protecting 30% of the Azores sea now, and not wait until 2030. Half of this area will be fully protected. The legal framework is ready for approval by the Government and will then be submitted to the Parliament," he said.

Reminding hundreds of experts that the sea surrounding the Azores makes up more than half of Portugal's exclusive economic zone and includes "some of the most important marine ecosystems in the North Atlantic," José Manuel Bolieiro mentioned the Blue Azores programme. He stressed that it "leaves no one behind in the community," particularly in the fishing sector, and is established in partnership with the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Waitt Institute.

"Once completed, the new network of Marine Protected Areas will cover almost 300 thousand kilometres and will be the largest in the North Atlantic, providing Azoreans with a healthy ocean and a thriving blue economy - this is our vision and our commitment," said the President of the Government.

This year, Greece is hosting the 9th "Our Ocean Conference," which addresses some of the key challenges related to the ocean, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, unsustainable fishing, marine pollution and unsustainable maritime transport.

In this context, the conference focuses on six action areas: Marine Protected Areas, Blue Economy, Ocean-Climate Relations, Maritime Security, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Pollution.

The "Our Ocean Conference" was first launched under the initiative of the U.S. State Department and Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014, with the aim of filling the then-existing gap in global ocean governance. Since its inception, this event has gradually become a comprehensive forum for dialogue that brings together governments, intergovernmental organisations, academia, the private sector and NGOs that share a common vision for ocean protection and take action to support this vision.

The conference provides an opportunity for leaders and stakeholders to discuss and identify the challenges of the ocean and demonstrate leadership in its conservation, making political, scientific, financial, partnership and collaboration commitments that will set us on the path towards a sustainable future.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are geographically defined areas where human activity is limited to protect important natural or cultural resources and preserve them over time. These areas are essential for safeguarding biodiversity and the health of marine ecosystems. They serve as sanctuaries ensuring intact marine systems where commercial species increase in number and size, helping to restore healthy populations inside and outside their limits. 

The Blue Azores programme has as one of its main goals the protection of 30% of the Azores sea, through the revision of the Network of Marine Protected Areas of the Azores, meeting the targets set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the National Strategy for the Sea 2030.