The Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal, are positioning themselves at the forefront of marine conservation by approving the creation of a vast Marine Protected Area (MPA) network encompassing nearly 287,000 square kilometers of ocean.

Officials in Ponta Delgada describe this designation as “the largest network of marine protected areas in the North Atlantic.”

This ambitious initiative will safeguard 30% of the archipelago’s surrounding waters, ensuring the protection of fragile ecosystems, seamounts, deep-sea habitats, and migratory species.

The Azores’ geographic location — in the middle of the North Atlantic, at the crossroads of major oceanic currents — makes it both a natural laboratory for marine science and a strategic region for international conservation efforts.

President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, emphasized recently that the new MPA is “not only an environmental achievement but also a socioeconomic commitment to sustainability,” highlighting how conservation can coexist with traditional Azorean livelihoods such as small-scale fisheries, whale watching, and eco-tourism.

The Azores’ initiative also strengthens Portugal’s role in global ocean governance. While international frameworks like OSPAR have already designated large MPAs in the high seas, the Azores’ decision demonstrates how a regional government can lead by example within national waters.

The project is expected to attract international scientific collaboration, reinforce the Azores’ reputation as a biodiversity hotspot, and place the islands firmly at the heart of North Atlantic conservation strategies.

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, or OSPAR Convention, is the current legislative instrument regulating international cooperation on environmental protection in the North-East Atlantic.

PAJ/Staff