The Regional Secretariat for Natural Resources marks today the beginning of 22nd "SOS Cagarro" (SOS Cory's Shearwater) Campaign, jointly promoted with GNR (National Republican Guard) and the 171st Scouts Group on Avenida 25 de Abril in the city of Horta.

The Government of the Azores coordinates and promotes this campaign, which is carried out by Island Natural Parks with the support of Azorina. This initiative also involves the participation of the Regional Directorates for Sea Affairs and the Environment.

The campaign aims to encourage the active participation of local entities and organisations and as well as of the Azorean population across the archipelago, who has decisively contributed to turn the "SOS Cagarro" Campaign into a successful example of civic participation in nature conservation for several years.

In order to urge for the informed participation of the foreign community residing in the archipelago and tourists in the activities developed under the "SOS Cagarro" Campaign, the Regional Secretariat for Natural Resources and its partners provide all the information about this initiative in English at the following address: http:// www.azores.gov.pt/Gra/dram-soscagarro/menus/secundario/english/. In addition, the information on this campaign is also available on flyers and posters.

With this initiative, the Government intends that the "SOS Cagarro" campaign may become a participatory activity in the field of eco-tourism, thus promoting its sustainability and the dissemination of the Region through inclusive actions of environmental conservation.

In this context, all tour operators are called to disseminate this campaign among their target markets, thus allowing tourists to actively take part in this initiative, which also contributes to the preservation of this emblematic seabird in the Azores.

Every year, the Azores are home to nearly 200,000 Cory’s Shearwater couples, which seek the coastal areas of the islands to breed.

The figures correspond to more than 60% of the world's species population and about 75% of the population of Calonectris diomedea borealis subspecies.

Cory's Shearwaters begin to reproduce, on average, at eight or nine years old and only lay one egg per year, without the possibility of laying another one to replace in case of failure during the incubation period or the feeding of younglings.

In the months of October and November, young birds leave their nests. During their first flight, they can be attracted by bright lights and get disoriented, which makes them vulnerable to many dangers, particularly to the danger of being hit by vehicles in motion.

The "SOS Cagarro" Campaign, which runs until November 15, aims to reduce the impact of human activities on juvenile Cory' Shearwaters, enabling them to make their migration of thousands of miles to wintering areas so that one day they may return, as adults, to their islands of origin to reproduce themselves.