The LIDE Sea Economy Committee has distinguished the merit and the excellence of the work developed by the Azores with the delivery of the awards "LIDE Sea Preservation 2014: Marine Protected Areas in the Azores" and "LIDE Sea Knowledge 2014: Horta Campus at the University of the Azores." The awards will be delivered at Pátio da Alfândega in Porto on May 31 during a ceremony under the high patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic.

The committee is specialised group of LIDE Portugal - Group of Business Leaders. Its main goal is to promote maritime economy as a whole and stimulate, in addition to its traditional uses, new uses in order to generate a strong and sustainable production base with capacity to create jobs, assure the well-being of populations and distinguish the Region in an international context.

For the President of LIDE Sea Economy Committee, Miguel Marques, "the winners of LIDE Sea Awards are worthy representatives of excellence and merit in maritime areas."

The "LIDE Sea Preservation Award 2014: Marine Protected Areas in the Azores" distinguishes the work carried out by the Regional Secretary for Natural Resources, through the management of the Azores Marine Park, for the preservation of the archipelago's ecosystems and marine resources.

The network comprises a total of nine natural reserves, six protected areas for the management of habitats and 30 protected areas for resource management.
The LIDE Sea Economy Committee acknowledges that the Azores, through its Marine Protected Areas, "have played a pioneering role in the preservation of maritime resources, which brings increased responsibility as well as national and international visibility."

According to the Committee, “the fact three Azorean islands are part of the global network of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is one of the examples of international recognition of environmental preservation.”

"The search for a consensus, which is intended to be achieved on a permanent basis, has led to the occasional cooperation between public decision-makers, scientists and companies operating in maritime areas in order to make the best decisions in terms of environmental, economic and social sustainability," added the Committee.

With regard to Horta Campus, which encompasses the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries Centre of the Sea Institute of the University of the Azores, the LIDE Committee noted that nearly 90 scientists dedicate themselves to the study of deep ocean, fisheries, marine protected areas and the spatial ecology of large oceanic and migratory species.

According to the committee, the research activities conducted by this campus on hydrothermal vents, seamounts as well as on the ecology of cetacean populations and other highly migratory species have made the Horta campus "the leading authority in Portugal in the context of deep-sea and ocean ecology, and a major scientific player at an international level."

For further information on the 2014 LIDE Awards, those who are interested may consult the following page: http://premioslidemar.com/pt/.