Azores to create largest Marine Protected Area in North Atlantic – and a ‘blueprint’ for the rest of the world

The protection will cover 287,000 square kilometres, an area bigger than the UK.

By Graeme Green

Published: Wednesday, 23 October 2024 at 07:00 AM

The Azores has passed bold new legislation to create the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) network in the North Atlantic ocean. 

The ocean around the Portuguese archipelago of nine volcanic islands is home to abundant marine life, including whales, sharks and deep-sea corals.

An area of approximately 1,000,000 km², the Azorean sea represents 55% of Portuguese waters and around 15% of European waters. 

A bold blueprint

The Azores’ regional government’s trailblazing move will safeguard 30% of the sea around the archipelago, covering 287,000 square kilometres, half of which is fully protected, where no extraction of natural resources can take place. The other half of the network is highly protected. 

The announcement sets a strong precedent for the biodiversity negotiations taking place at the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16) in Colombia at the end of October, and helps lead the way at a crucial moment, as countries around the world work to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect 30% of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030 (30×30) to safeguard the future health of the planet.

“The benefits from this Marine Protected Area network will be far-reaching across Europe, North America and North Africa,” says Bernardo Brito E Abreu, who’s been leading the Blue Azores team and is the Advisor to the President of the Government of the Azores on Sea Affairs and Fisheries.

“But most importantly, this action carves a clear path for many other regions and nations to follow suit. With less than 3% of the global oceans currently protected, the Azores offers a blueprint for meeting the urgent 2030 deadline to protect 30% of the world’s seas.”

Azores MPA Network
“Healthy marine ecosystems are more resilient to warming seas and extreme weather, protecting our coastal communities and infrastructure,” says Brito E Abreu/Andy Mann

Protection for a wealth of life

MPAs are widely recognised as the most effective tool in the global effort to reverse biodiversity loss.  “The Azores’ waters are a hotspot for marine life, hosting a third of the world’s whale and dolphin species, 600 species of fish, five species of sea turtles, and rare deep-sea corals and unique hydrothermal vent ecosystems,” explains Brito E Abreu.

”The region is home to 2,500 resident sperm whales, one of the North Atlantic’s largest populations, as well as the threatened long-finned pilot whale, while blue whales, fin whales and loggerhead turtles use the area as a vital migration corridor.

“The Azores’ underwater seamounts harbour cold-water corals and sponge fields that act as nurseries and feeding grounds for countless species, from deep-sea sharks to commercially valuable fish stocks.”

Azores Marine Protected Area
The Azores’ waters host a third of the world’s whale and dolphin species/Nuno Sa

Tourism, jobs and climate

Protecting oceans brings other wide-reaching benefits. “Marine Protected Areas will deliver a triple win for the Azores: boosting the economy, protecting jobs, and providing climate resilience,” says Brito E Abreu.

“For the fishing industry, these protected areas will act as nurseries, allowing fish stocks to recover and spill over into fishing grounds.

“Protection will likely boost the Azores’ eco-tourism, which already draws 120,000 marine tourists annually. The Azores is one of the few places on the planet where tourists can spot sperm whales and manta rays, both of which will benefit from protected areas.

“Additionally, this will help buffer the islands against climate change. Healthy marine ecosystems are more resilient to warming seas and extreme weather, protecting our coastal communities and infrastructure.” 

Azores MPA Network
“For the fishing industry, these protected areas will act as nurseries, allowing fish stocks to recover and spill over into fishing grounds,” says Brito E Abreu/Pepe Brix

The project has been an collaborative effort between the Regional Government of the Azores, the Oceano Azul Foundation, the Waitt Institute, and the University of the Azores, as well as the fishing industry, maritime transport, tourism operators, and other environmental NGOs.

“The ocean isn’t just part of our identity in the Azores – it’s our lifeblood,” says José Manuel Cabral Dias Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government of the Azores. “By creating the North Atlantic’s largest network of marine protected areas, we’re safeguarding both our marine biodiversity and the future of our people.

“We have made this decision not just for the marine life, but also as a commitment to ensure that fishing and other livelihoods can remain and thrive long into the future. We’re leading by example and showing the world that environmental protection and economic prosperity must go hand-in-hand.” 

Main image: Sperm whales in the Azores MPA Network/Andy Mann

More wild stories from around the world