The North Atlantic Gets Its Largest Marine Protected Area

Portugal’s autonomous region of the Azores has established the North Atlantic’s largest marine protected area (MPA), a landmark move to safeguard vulnerable marine ecosystems and meet international conservation targets set to protect 30% of Earth’s land and seas by 2030.

“We have acted in advance of the international conservation goals for 2030 with the creation of the largest marine park in the North Atlantic, with fully protected areas and highly protected areas,” explains Bernardo Brito e Abreu, adviser to the Azorean government on maritime affairs.

A ban on fishing activities will be imposed on half of the 300,000-kilometer MPA designated as a fully protected area. Only very selective fishing will be allowed in the second half. The MPA will protect underwater mountain ranges and vulnerable marine ecosystems like deep-sea corals, hydrothermal vents, and marine species. The nine-island archipelago, some 1,500 km west of mainland Portugal, home to unique marine biodiversity, is reaching international conservation targets well ahead of time.