The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology defended today "blue growth" as "a priority for all maritime regions," but stressed that maritime and marine economic activities "cannot be developed at any cost."
 
Gui Menezes stated that "blue growth should have environmental and socio-economic sustainability as a structuring and knowledge-based pillar," adding that partnerships among the Outermost Regions are "extremely useful in political and strategic terms for the effectiveness of marine conservation."
 
In this regard, he pointed out some transnational projects, such as MISTIC SEAS I and MISTIC SEAS II, under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which are being developed with the regions of Macaronesia.
 
The Regional Secretary for the Sea spoke the opening of the panel "The European Union, the Sea and the Outermost Regions," held under the conference "Madeira, the Outermost Regions and the Atlantic - Knowledge and Cooperation for Blue Growth" that took place in Funchal. The initiative was promoted by the Government of Madeira.
 
"In the Azores, we look at our Outermost Region status as a competitive advantage in order to get closer to the best European and global standards," said Gui Menezes. He pointed out some issues in which Outermost Regions "should play an important role," namely as regards to restrictions on industrial tuna fishing in the Atlantic, the reduction tuna aggregating devices and the opening of migration corridors free from such devices.
 
In his speech, he also mentioned regional policies aimed at reducing the production of marine litter in the Azores, pointing out the European project INDICIT as another "good example" of cooperation between the regions of Macaronesia in defining and implementing indicators related to the impact of marine litter on sea turtles and other living beings.
 
Gui Menezes also recalled that the region is involved, both as a partner and as a coordinator, in several research projects under European mechanisms such as LIFE, Horizon 2020 and Interreg Mac, but also in direct management schemes of the European Commission.
 
Regarding emerging areas of the "blue economy," the government official stressed that the Azorean Government "has worked to make aquaculture a reality in the Region." In this context, he listed several measures, including the mapping of coastal and offshore areas with potential for this activity and the creation of aquaculture production areas on three islands; there are already four projects for these islands.
 
Gui Menezes pointed out aquaculture as an area in which "there may be greater cooperation between the regions of Madeira and the Azores," given the experience of Madeira in this activity.