Empowering Communities to Protect Their Ocean
THE AZORES
.png)
BLUE
AZORES
Focused on the conservation and sustainable use of the Azorean Sea, the Blue Azores Program will contribute to protecting, promoting and valuing the rich marine resources of the archipelago.
Blue Azores is the result of an international partnership between the Regional
Government of the Azores, the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Waitt Institute,
uniting in a single vision of a healthy Azorean Sea and a thriving maritime society.
Blue Azores aims to create new avenues for the sustainable economic development of the archipelago, in direct cooperation with the program’s stakeholders.
Learn more by visiting the Blue Azores website and following the program on Facebook.
FOUNDING
PARTNERS
KEY
STATISTICS
1,000,000
approximate exclusive economic zone
sq. km.
56%
of Portugal’s maritime territory
ocean protection commitment
30%
PROGRAM
OBJECTIVES
-
Protect 30% of the Azorean Sea through Marine Protected Areas, with at least 15% as fully protected marine areas
-
Prepare and implement management plans for all marine protected areas, including existing ones and those to be designated
-
Contribute to marine spatial planning
-
Support restructuring of the fishing sector
PROJECT
TIMELINE
MOU
GOVERNANCE & WORK PLANNING
ASSESSMENTS
PLANNING & LEGAL DEVELOPMENT
IMPLEMENTATION
PROJECT
MILESTONES
2019
MOU is signed between the Regional Government of the Azores and local partners.
2020
Blue paper on offshore area.
2021
Regional Government of the Azores increases marine protection commitment to 30%.
2022
Ocean Use Survey launched.
PROGRAM
TEAM
CONSERVATION PROJECT MANAGER
MARIA JOAO CRUZ
Maria João has been with Blue Azores from its launch in 2019. With a PhD in Marine Sciences, Maria João has lived in the Azores since 2006 and has worked at the University of the Azores doing scientific research related to the study of fisheries interactions with cetaceans. She is based on São Miguel island.
CONSULTANT
ANA MONTEIRO
Originally from the Island of Flores, Ana joined the team in 2021 as support to Blue Azores. With a background in Radiology, Healthcare Organization and European Studies and International Politics, Ana is a committed environmental activist who has worked for decades to improve and protect the unique ecosystems of the Azores. She served on the board of Quercus between 2008 and 2015, and has experience working in both government and grassroots initiatives.
INFORMATION MANAGER
ADRIANO QUINTELA
Adriano has a degree in Marine Biology and a Phd in Geography from the University of the Azores, where he called home for over 15 years. During his time in the archipelago, Adriano was involved in coastal and watershed environmental planning projects that also included stakeholders engagement. Adriano worked as an environmental consultant in the offshore oil and gas seismic survey industry and was a researcher at the University of Aveiro, where he was involved in several EU funded projects on Marine Spatial Planning, developing tools to assess environmental cumulative impacts of human activities on marine environments.
