Alonso Miguel visited LIFE BEETLES Project intervention areas on Terceira Island - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, visited the LIFE BEETLES project intervention areas in Terra Brava, on Terceira Island, this week, as part of the final monitoring visit carried out by the European Commission through CINEA.

As it should be noted, LIFE BEETLES is an important nature conservation project, which began in 2020 and will end in late 2025, representing an investment of €1.76 million, with 55% co-financed by the European Union. It is intended to expand the distribution area, population size and conservation status of three native beetle species in the Azores: the ground beetle (Trechus terrabravensis) on Terceira Island, the ironclad beetle (Tarphius florensis) on Flores Island, and the laurocho (Pseudanchomenus aptinoides) on the island of Pico.

“In the specific case of Terceira Island, work focused on early detection and removal of invasive plant species in pristine areas such as Caldeira da Serra de Santa Bárbara, Lagoa do Pinheiro and Terra Brava,” stated Alonso Miguel.

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action recalled that "following the implementation of the measures provided for in the LIFE BEETLES project, there has been a significant increase in the populations of the three target species, namely a 60% increase in the case of the ground beetle, more than 200% in the case of the laurocho, and around 250% in the case of the ironclad beetle in Flores. This is an impressive record that clearly demonstrates the success of the implementation of this project over the last six years."

The government official emphasised that "the LIFE BEETLES project covered a total area of 354 hectares, spread across the islands of Terceira, Flores and Pico, where work was carried out to control invasive flora, implement natural engineering solutions and plant around 27,000 endemic specimens."

Alonso Miguel also emphasised that "this project has led to investments of about €900,000 on Terceira Island, €400,000 on Pico Island and more than €300,000 on Flores Island. It has also created 10 direct jobs, provided training for operational staff, and fitted the environmental and climate action services on these three islands with important equipment and tools for biodiversity preservation and nature conservation work."

The Regional Secretary also highlighted the important contribution of the LIFE BEETLES project to promoting environmental education and awareness in the Azores, through the organisation of more than 50 volunteer activities and more than 300 environmental awareness activities, which reached more than 6,000 people.

An educational game dedicated to nature conservation was also created and distributed to all schools across the Azores, along with a travelling macro photography exhibition that toured the three islands covered by the project. These have significantly contributed to strengthening environmental literacy and raising awareness among the general public, and particularly in our schools, about the importance of preserving these species and their natural habitats, which provide important ecosystem services to the population," he continued.

Alonso Miguel recalled that "four LIFE projects coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action are currently underway in the Region, with three dedicated to nature conservation and another to mitigating and adapting to climate change effects, representing a total investment of over €40 million."

The Regional Secretary for the Environment concluded by emphasising that ‘LIFE projects, supported by significant EU funding, are decisive financial and operational instruments for strengthening the Region's capacity."

He added: "Besides providing scientific knowledge, technical expertise and financial resources essential for environmental protection, nature conservation and biodiversity preservation, they are a fundamental pillar enabling Member States to effectively meet the targets set by the Nature Restoration Law."

“The LIFE BEETLES project will leave an important legacy of knowledge, technical training and improvement of the natural ecosystems of the Azores, with direct repercussions on the preservation of biodiversity and the safety and well-being of the Azoreans,” he concluded.

The monitoring visit, which runs until today, on Terceira and Pico, included visits to the intervention areas on these two islands, as well as several meetings to present the work carried out and the results achieved during the implementation of the project in the Region.