Azores Archipelago Protects Thirty Percent of Waters

October 23, 2024

Cover image © Andy Mann

PONTA DELGADA, AZORES, PORTUGAL — The Autonomous Region of the Azores is making waves in marine conservation by establishing the largest network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the North Atlantic. This historic initiative safeguards 30% of the marine environment surrounding the Azores Archipelago, covering an impressive 287,000 square kilometers.

Mission Blue recognized the waters of the Azores Archipelago as a Hope Spot in 2021, advocating for a coherent network of marine protected areas extending from the surface to the deep seafloor. The Azores Archipelago began their efforts with marine protection in the 1980s, evolving through joint collaboration among government, universities, and local communities. The Blue Azores program, launched in 2019 from a partnership between the Regional Government of the Azores, the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Waitt Institute, and the University of the Azores, has contributed to significant advances in marine conservation in the region.

“When we think of Hope Spots and the Azores, we think of it as a twin-track approach here. The first is using the Hope Spot to bring global awareness and the second track is establishing a network of MPAs. The combination of both is what Hope Spots are about,” says Dan Laffoley, Principal Advisor on Marine Science and Conservation for IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Programme. 

Mission Blue held a Hope Spot Summit in the Azores in 2021. Hope Spot Champions Dr. Christopher Pham and Carla Damaso joined Dr. Earle and teams from Mission Blue, Blue Azores and the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative to celebrate and support marine conservation efforts taking place in the Azores Archipelago Hope Spot. At the Hope Spot Summit, Dr. Earle met with President José Manuel Bolieiro, where he announced his commitment to protect an additional 15% of Azorean waters. The 2024 designation brings the total of protected Azorean waters to 30%.

“Congratulations to The Azores Regional Government, Blue Azores, Hope Spot Champions and the Azorean citizens on this incredible achievement. I’m thrilled for the whales, sharks, mantas and all the marine life that calls it home,” says Shannon McIntyre Rake, Mission Blue Hope Spots Program Manager.

Hope Spot Champion Carla Dâmaso shares, “The first step has been taken towards creating the largest North Atlantic marine protected area in the Azores, a giant step for the conservation of marine biodiversity in the region, but also in the Atlantic Ocean. And that gives us great satisfaction! However, following its approval, there are many challenges and difficulties facing the implementation of this network of MPAs. This whole process will need to be handled well, and we will always be available, through our daily work to promote Ocean Literacy among the population, to help it succeed.”

Half of the newly designated Azores MPA network will be fully protected, prohibiting all extraction of natural resources, while the other half will be highly protected, meaning light extractive activities with low total impact are allowed. This decision marks a significant milestone in global marine conservation, setting a powerful precedent for biodiversity negotiations underway at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in late October 2024 in Colombia.

To understand the level of protection across the region, including the areas encompassed by the Azores Archipelago Hope Spot, visit this interactive map by Protected Seas.  

The Azores, a Portuguese archipelago of nine volcanic islands, encompass nearly 1 million square kilometers of ocean, representing more than half of Portugal’s territorial waters. These marine protected areas will safeguard diverse marine life and unique deep-sea ecosystems, supporting both a healthy ocean and the Azorean people who depend on it.

“Creating the biggest MPA in the North Atlantic is no small feat,” said José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government of the Azores. “This means greater protection for the whales, seabirds, sea turtles, fish, and so much more.”

The creation of this network was achieved through an extensive participatory process, involving over 40 meetings with stakeholders from various sectors, including fisheries, tourism, maritime transport, and environmental organizations. This approach resulted in the collaborative design of a network of marine protected areas based on the best available science that will benefit people, nature, and the economy.

Update: On February 11, 2025, the Azores secured €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 (MOU) 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. 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.

Learn more about the Azores Archipelago Hope Spot here.

Read more about the recent Azores MPA designation here.

About Blue Azores
Focused on the conservation and sustainable use of the Azores Sea, based on the best 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 of 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, and in collaboration with the University of the Azores.