The Autonomous Region of the Azores, Portugal has designated the largest marine protected area (MPA) network in the North Atlantic.
This MPA safeguards 30% of the sea surrounding the Azores archipelago, covering 287,000 square kilometers. Half of the network is fully protected, where no extraction of natural resources takes place. The other half is defined as highly protected, in which only light extractive activities with low total impact are allowed, with all other abatable impacts minimized. This marks a significant milestone in global marine conservation and sets a precedent for United Nations’ Biodiversity conference in November (COP16).
The Azores is a Portuguese archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. The Azorean sea, an area of approximately 1,000,000 km², represents 55% of the Portuguese waters and around 15% of the European waters. It contains some of the most important, unique and fragile island, open sea, and deep-sea environments in the North Atlantic. The now approved network of marine protected areas creates a sanctuary for nature, such as sharks, fish, whales, deep-sea corals and unique hydrothermal vent ecosystems, resulting in a healthy ocean, which blue economy and Azorean communities depend upon.
The Azores’ decision comes at a crucial time as nations worldwide work to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in which 196 countries agreed that protecting 30% of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030 (30×30 target) is critical to the planet’s future health. The legislation leads the way for the European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and advances global ocean protection goals.
Marine protected areas are widely recognized as the most effective tool in the global effort to reverse biodiversity loss and build ocean resilience against climate change. The Azores leadership is inspiring, given that less than 3% of the world’s oceans are fully or highly protected.
Photo courtesy Blue Azores Program
“The Azores has long been known for its unique ocean nature, and with this decision, we are driving the way forward to a productive, vibrant ocean,” said José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government of the Azores. “The sea is an integral part of our collective identity, being vital socially, culturally and economically. We are committed to protect and recover our ocean to support a healthy blue economy.”
The creation of this marine protected area network involved more than 40 meetings with representatives from various sectors, including from the fishing sector, maritime transport, maritime-tourism operators, and environmental non-governmental organizations.
