Regional Government creates working group for revision of Legal Framework on Whale Watching Activities - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Transportes, Turismo e Energia

The Regional Government of the Azores informs that the preparation of a proposal for the full revision of the Legal Framework on Whale Watching Activities has already begun, through a working group specifically created for this purpose. It is composed of representatives of the Regional Secretariat for Transport, Tourism and Energy, through the Regional Directorate for Air and Maritime Transport, the Regional Directorate for Tourism and the Regional Tourism Inspectorate, and the Regional Secretariat for Sea and Fisheries, through the Regional Directorate for Sea Affairs.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in demand for whale watching, while this activity has become increasingly important in the diversification and competitiveness of tourism in the Region.

The qualitative development of maritime-tourism activities, as well as the protection of the sea and its truly sustainable use, are strategic priorities set out in the Programme of the XIII Government of the Azores. Whale watching activities stand out as one of the most relevant to value creation in this area, thus deserving special attention in its basic structuring with a view to its future sustainability.

In view of the fact that the current Legal Framework on Whale Watching Activities dates back to 1999, with occasional amendments in terms of its regulations, which did not follow a systematic approach, there is an urgent need for its full revision. This process has already begun but was not completed or approved in previous legislative periods.

The work now being carried out aims to analyse and propose a revision of this legal framework where specific parameters will be considered, namely the impact of the activity on the animals and the relations between the maritime areas and the density of the operations, among other aspects. Representatives of whale watching companies will be involved in this process, taking into account their vast experience in this matter, as well as the scientific community, given the studies that have been developed on this subject.

Whale watching is an activity of particular importance for the identity of tourism in the Azores: In fact, it is one of the most successful cases of sustainable development in the world, through the reconversion of an economic activity that has evolved from whale hunting to an activity that fully enhances the value of a natural resource. Therefore, whale watching is a sustainable tourism product of excellence with international recognition.