Portugal’s Azores archipelago has established the largest marine protected area (MPA) network in Europe, designating 287,000 square kilometres of North Atlantic Ocean for conservation. Fifteen percent of the region’s waters are now fully protected and another 15 percent highly protected — shielding deep-sea corals, whales, sharks, manta rays, and dolphins from fishing and other damaging activities.
At a glance
- Marine protected area: The Azores network covers 287,000 sq km, making it the largest MPA network in Europe and the North Atlantic.
- Ocean protection levels: Fully protected zones ban all damaging activities, while highly protected zones allow only non-harmful activities like swimming and kayaking.
- 30×30 target: Scientists estimate 190,000 small coastal MPAs and 300 large offshore MPAs are needed globally to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.
Why this moment matters
The announcement came as world leaders gathered in Colombia for COP16, the UN Biodiversity Conference. At the previous summit, countries agreed to the historic 30×30 goal — protecting 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030. Progress has been slow. Currently, just 8 percent of the ocean has any protection at all, and less than 3 percent is fully or highly protected.
The Azores decision puts a meaningful dent in that gap. José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Regional Government of the Azores, called it “an achievement for the Azoreans,” adding: “We hope our decision inspires other regions, who must act to ensure the future health of the planet.”
Science led the way
The network wasn’t drawn on a map arbitrarily. Scientific expeditions were conducted across coastal, open-sea, and deep-sea zones using underwater cameras and advanced survey tools. The work was led in part by National Geographic Pristine Seas, whose founder Enric Sala described how “government officials, scientists, industry representatives and local citizens banded together to devise a system of protection that works for everyone.”
Alan Friedlander, chief scientist of Pristine Seas, noted the exceptional character of what the expedition found. The Azores sits at a unique crossroads of ocean currents, with seamounts, hydrothermal vents, and deep-sea habitats that support some of the most diverse biological communities in the North Atlantic.
Protecting these ecosystems, Friedlander said, will improve “global marine biodiversity, climate stability and oceanic health” — not just preserve local ecological and cultural values.
What MPA protection actually does
MPAs are legally designated areas of sea, ocean, or estuary where human activities are restricted to conserve nature. The benefits are well documented. Research published in Science has shown that well-enforced MPAs increase both the abundance and diversity of marine life within their boundaries. They also restore carbon sequestration, boost fish stocks, and protect tourist economies that coastal communities depend on.
Under the new Azores network, fishing and other harmful activities are banned or tightly restricted across large portions of its waters. In the most strictly protected zones, only non-damaging activities are permitted at all.
Real limits worth naming
MPA designation alone does not guarantee results. Research from the IUCN consistently shows that without strong enforcement, protected areas can simply push damaging activity into neighboring waters. Threats like ocean acidification, microplastic pollution, and warming cannot be stopped at a boundary line. And in many MPAs worldwide, destructive practices like bottom trawling — dragging heavy nets across the ocean floor — are still permitted. Greece became the first European country to ban bottom trawling in all its MPAs earlier in 2024 C.E., setting a standard the Azores will need to match in practice, not just policy.
Sala was direct about what the 30×30 goal actually requires: “It’s important that we don’t protect just any 30 per cent but the right 30 per cent to achieve the greatest biodiversity, climate and food supply benefits MPAs can offer.” Quantity matters. Quality matters more.
Still, the Azores network is a significant step. Between 2012 and 2021 C.E., the European Environment Agency reported that the EU doubled its MPA coverage to over 12 percent. This new designation accelerates that trajectory and gives the 30×30 movement one of its most credible examples to date.
Read more
For more on this story, see: Euronews Green
For more from Good News for Humankind, see:
- Ghana establishes a marine protected area at Cape Three Points
- Renewables now make up at least 49% of global power capacity
- The Good News for Humankind archive on marine conservation
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