The Regional Director for the Environment said in Ponta Delgada on Friday that the Regional Government is working to promote “a perfect Environment” in the Azores.

At the opening of the 17th Educational Conference of the Portuguese Association for Environmental Education, Frederico Cardigos defended that the Azores have values, potential and opportunities to create an intense and lasting relation between the environmental educators and the nine islands of the archipelago.

Nonetheless, the Regional Director mentioned that there are major problems with invasive organisms in the Azores and defended that waste management does not work properly, thus our sea is under an intolerable strain

The Regional Director also admitted the existence of water management problems across the archipelago, from the crater lakes to the water for domestic consumption.

Frederico Cardigos also stressed that the Government, being aware that the environment, the society and the economy cannot be put in order of importance, has already drawn up various strategies to simultaneously solve the identified problems, such as the Regional Plan for the Eradication and Control of Invasive Species in Sensitive Areas and the Regional Water Plan.

Moreover, he stated that there 12 sites in the Azores classified under the Ramsar Convention, 11 of which integrated a single application that has been classified as the best ever presented by the secretariat of the Convention.

At the occasion, the Regional Director stressed the application of the deep-sea hydrothermal vents as areas classified under the Oslo-Paris Convention, adding that two of these hydrothermal vents are located within the exclusive economic zone of the Azores and a third outside it.

Therefore, he informed that the Rainbow site was accepted by the international community, which supports the OSPAR Convention, as part of the management responsibilities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

He said that the Azores have a network of protected areas of great importance, which includes the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture which was awarded the Gold classification by UNESCO.

The Regional Director revealed the existence one of the most enigmatic species in the world on Terceira Island, the four-leaf clover, which is a plant with unique genetic heritage, without variation, scientifically known as “Marsilea Azorica.” Specimens can be found near the Marsílea pond, the Pico Bagacina located within the island.

Frederico Cardigos also underlined that there are nearly 450 endemic species in the Azores and that, with regard to Biosphere Reserves, the Island of Graciosa, considered by decision of the local population as “regional capital of diving,” has the largest volcanic dome in Europe.

Addressing the environmental heritage of the Azores, the Regional Director for the Environment mentioned of an area belonging to the Natura 2000 Network on Santa Maria, which is a stunning reef full of life as well as of intricate geological puzzles, located about twenty miles off that island.

In this context, he added that the Caneiro dos Meros on Corvo Island is also a must for divers.

Frederico Cardigos stated that the Azores represent 75 percent of the Biosphere Reserves in Portugal and that first Waste Centres in the Azores is being implemented on Flores Island. He added that the current sanitary landfill is no longer necessary.

The Regional Director announced Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Centre on the island of Faial is the largest investment ever made for the interpretation of area belonging to the Natura 2000 Network in the European Union, thus being visionary work.

With the organisation of pedestrian walks around to visit the local landscape on the island of São Jorge, the “Caminhos da Memória” (Memory Trails), the São Jorge islanders have realized that the environmental and cultural heritage is their greatest asset.

Hence, that Central Group Island, known for its pointed shape and for its good cheese, is bringing together its common estate around an “Ecomuseum” which has organised an international eco-museology conference.

For that political official, the local environmental NGOs are an extraordinary potential for the archipelago, which have established partnerships with the Regional Government in the management of one of the main educational values – the Azorean “Ecotecas” (Environmental Awareness Raising Centre).

According to him, there are 86 schools classified as eco-schools in the Azores and two thirds of the Azorean schools have an environmental certification. There is only one school that does not fly a green flag.

Moreover, there is a growing number of European Blue flags in the beach areas of the archipelago and of local hotel units distinguished with Green key award.

Frederico Cardigos announced that the Government has launched a new activity, designated as “Eco-Village: clean village,” (Eco-freguesia: freguesia limpa,” which has registered a considerable adherence with dozens of registrations which remain open.

Under the energy area, the Regional Director for the Environment assured that the Azores have already surpassed the European figures estimated for 2020, with concern to the component of alternative energies, and ensured that carbon is being removed from the atmosphere in the archipelago, through a recent but ambitious, practical and flexible legislation on energy efficiency.

According to Frederico Cardigos, this situation may be confirmed by the alliance between the Government, the University of the Azores and the “MIT - Portugal.” He assured that the MIT-Portugal project, “Green Islands” will be developed in the context of the Azores, making the Archipelago even greener.

In his speech, the Regional Secretary said that dozens of operations to invasive organisms, underwater organisms, were carried out in the Azores in 2009.

Regarding the ecosystem dysfunction, the Regional Director for the Environment announced that there are nearly 370 natural flora species in the Azores and 700 introduced species, which is causing a huge environmental stress.

He reiterated that the Government has already finished the mega operation to remove the mineral oil and tyre liabilities, including 670 thousand litters of oils and 5,400 tonnes of tires.

For Frederico Cardigos, behaviours must be changed now as the Azores are not a region compatible with the waste abandon.

The Regional Director promised that on every Azorean island there will be, at least, one Environmental Interpretation Centre with educational tools that everyone may become better acquainted and love their island.