THE AZORES MPA NETWORK SUPPORT

EMBARGOED UNTIL 4PM FEB. 11, 2025 AZORES (GMT -1)

AZORES MPA NETWORK SECURES
SUPPORT FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Tuesday, 11 February 2025

A new Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Regional Government of the Azores, the Oceano Azul Foundation, and the Waitt Institute, partners of the Blue Azores program.
Following the approval of the Azores Marine Protected Area Network in October 2024, this new memorandum secures more than 10 million euros in support as well as continued partnership and technical assistance for its successful implementation.
This funding will be allocated to subjects including the management strategy and implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), their financing, enforcement, monitoring, and the restructuring of the fishing sector.

FAIAL, AZORES - The Azores secured over €10 million in funding to implement the North Atlantic's largest network of marine protected areas, marking a crucial step forward in global ocean conservation.

The funding and technical support, established through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Regional Government of the Azores, Oceano Azul Foundation, and Waitt Institute, will support the network’s protection of vital marine ecosystems and natural resources in the Azores. An additional organization, the Blue Nature Alliance, will also provide technical and financial support, reinforcing the long-term success of the network.

The new phase of the partnership follows the October 2024 legislative approval of the protected area network covering 30% of the Azorean Sea, in which half of the areas are fully protected, meaning no extractive activities can take place, and the other 15% is highly protected. The network safeguards 287,000 square kilometers of waters in areas six to 200 nautical miles from the coast, positioning the Azores as a global leader in marine conservation.

The next five years of the Blue Azores program will support:

The development and approval of a management strategy and plans, including monitoring and enforcement of protected areas.
The implementation of Azores marine protected areas within European legislation.
The restructuring of the fishing sector.
The revision and integration of the coastal marine protected area network.
The identification of additional financial, technical support, and resource needs including a sustainable finance strategy.
Support to the fishing sector to transition to new regulations.
Community outreach and engagement.

The protected area network, designed through a six-year Government-led scienced-based and participatory process, safeguards critical habitats in the North Atlantic while supporting the transition to sustainable marine economies.

The implementation of new protected areas is targeted to be finalized by 2028, establishing all necessary legal frameworks and management systems. As a next step, the Blue Azores program will continue the participatory process to update the coastal marine protected areas (waters from the shoreline to six nautical miles), by engaging communities, scientists, and stakeholders across the nine islands to ensure the design is science-based, inclusive, and effective.

The signing of this Memorandum underscores the partnership of the Blue Azores program, which began in 2019 as an initiative between the Regional Government of the Azores, Oceano Azul Foundation, and Waitt Institute to promote ocean conservation and sustainable blue economy development in the Azores archipelago, based on scientific research and community participation.

This initiative significantly advances the global goal of protecting 30% of ocean waters by 2030, established under the UN Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Azores Marine Protected Area Network stands out for its scale of its fully protected areas, serving as a model of comprehensive management and implementation of marine protected areas for other regions worldwide.

ABOUT BLUE AZORES

Focused on the conservation and sustainable use of the Azores Sea, based on the best available scientific knowledge and with the participation of the community, the Blue Azores Program aims to contribute to the protection, promotion, and enhancement of the archipelago’s marine natural capital, creating new avenues for the sustainable economic development in the region. It thus promotes the conservation of the ocean, the enhancement of nature and the activities that depend on it, and the promotion of a sustainable blue economy. It was born from a partnership between the Regional Government of the Azores , the Oceano Azul Foundation, and the Waitt Institute, in collaboration with the University of the Azores.