Lisbon, Oct. 24, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal plans to achieve 30% of marine protected areas by 2026, ahead of the 2030 target, with the creation of the Madeira-Tore and Banco de Gorringe Marine Nature Reserve, whose preparatory work is expected to be completed in December.
"It is extremely useful for the environment, for nature, for biodiversity, but also for the sustainability of fishing, because these are true fish nurseries," said the minister for the environment and energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, in statements to journalists.
With an area of approximately 200,000 km², covering the entire complex of seamounts and abyssal plains located between Cape St. Vincent, in Sagres, in the Algarve, and the Madeira archipelago, the new reserve will enable Portugal to reach 30% of its marine protected area as early as next year.
For now, a joint order from the ministries for the environment and energy and agriculture and the sea was published on Friday, which, together with the Regional Government of Madeira, determines the start of the technical and legal procedures necessary for classification, which should be completed by 10 December.
This will be followed by a period of public consultation, and the government expects the creation of the new marine protected area to be consolidated in 2026.
"This will also have other added value in terms of recreational boating and diving, all of which contribute to our marine economy. We have a marine economy that represents 5% of our gross domestic product, but with this kind of investment, we can increase that figure significantly," said Salvador Malheiro, secretary of state for Fisheries and the Sea.
Once the 30% target has been achieved, the Government plans to look towards the goal of 10% of areas being fully protected.
"At the moment, we still have a low target - around 2% or 3% - because it takes longer to identify (the fully protected areas), but that will be our ambition after the 30%," said Maria da Graça Carvalho.
Asked how these marine protected areas are being managed, the minister recalled the work carried out for the Pedra do Valado Marine Natural Park in the Algarve and for the Azores Marine Protected Areas Network and is awaiting the signing of the agreement with the Environmental Fund.
"There are also a number of obligations on the State and the autonomous regions (of the Azores and Madeira) to monitor and care for this area. For our part, we will comply with all the rules, but we also have to pay attention to what is happening with foreign vessels, and therefore there is a whole surveillance system here that needs to be even more careful when it comes to a protected area," she added.
Before the presentation of the Madeira-Tore and Banco de Gorringe Marine Nature Reserve, the minister met with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition.
At the end of the meeting, Maria da Graça Carvalho and Teresa Rivera highlighted the commitment made on Thursday by European Union (EU) leaders to climate ambitions by 2040, as an intermediate step towards carbon neutrality in 2050, with a "pragmatic and flexible" strategy.
"It is a balanced proposal," argued Teresa Rivera, referring to the European Commission's proposal for a 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions (compared to 1990 levels) as an intermediate step towards climate neutrality in 2050.
On the Portuguese side, the minister for the environment and energy mentioned the possibility of meeting part of the target through international carbon credits between 2036 and 2040, up to a limit of 3% of the EU's net emissions in 1990, stressing that Portugal advocates that the credits should start to be counted earlier, in 2031 and up to a limit of 5%.
"For us, time is more important, because we have several investments in third countries, such as debt conversion in Cabo Verde, and we are also going to sign debt conversions with São Tomé and Príncipe, and we would very much like it to start counting from 2031," she explained.
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