The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and the Environment stressed in Horta the importance of the ROA Project - Azores Birdwatching Network. It provides the establishment of a Code of Good Practice and an Ornithological Guide as well as the development of interpretive itineraries by species or habitats for all the islands.
 
Speaking at the opening of the seminar "Good Practices in Ornithological Tourism," Luís Neto Viveiros stressed that the main goal of this project concerns "the recognition of natural heritage and the promotion of sustainable and responsible ornithological tourism in the Azores."
 
For the Regional Secretary, the ROA Project, which is being developed by the Seabirds Group of the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries at the University of the Azores, has "great importance due to the growth of bird watching around the world and this is reflected in the Azores." In this context, the government official highlighted the added value generated by the creation of "public awareness mechanisms for the relevant ornithological value of Azorean islands.”
 
In his speech, he also mentioned that this project will also create "essential tools to the qualified and sustainable development of an activity with strong tourism potential" in the Region.
 
"Our geographical location, halfway between Europe and America, makes the Azores the first staging point for many birds on their migration between continents," the government official said, stressing that the archipelago "is a prime location for first sightings [birds]."
 
The wealth of bird life and the uniqueness and beauty of the landscapes offer, according to the Regional Secretary, "excellent conditions for the development of tourism initiatives and operations with this nature activity." In this regard, he pointed out that bird watching "can be developed throughout year, thus mitigating the seasonality of tourism" in the Region.
 
Neto Viveiros also defended that the work developed by the Ornithological Guide and Interpretive Itineraries by species or habitats will enable the creation of "support structures for bird watching that will be installed in an integrated manner and in close cooperation with centres and operators."
 
In this regard, the government official recalled the recent redevelopment project of Morro de Castelo Branco on Faial, where there is the island's largest colony of Cory's Shearwater specimens, the creation of another wild bird rehabilitation centre on the island of São Miguel this year, which adds up to the two on Corvo and Pico, as well as the construction of a circular flight tunnel at the recovery centre Pico Island.
 
The Regional Secretary also announced that the SOS Aves (SOS Birds) toll-free line is operating 24 hours a day, starting today, for the report of occurrences with wild birds through the number 800 292 800. Moreover, he mentioned the submission of the application for the LIFE project to the European Commission earlier this month.
 
LIFE Azores Natura project "provides a wide range of terrestrial and marine in the Natura 2000 area," with estimated European funding of 15 million Euros for a six-year period (2017-2022), and the mobilisation of complementary funds of about nine million Euros.
 
"This is the largest nature conservation project designed for our Region that, if approved, will allow an unprecedented investment in protected habitats and species, highlighting one of the main assets: our nature," said the Regional Secretary.
 
The workshop on "Good Practices in Ornithological Tourism" is promoted by the Seabirds Group of the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries and includes field trips. It is directed to tour operators, regional administration technicians working in the area of nature conservation and wild bird conservation organisations in order to promote the discussion if practices that ensure the sustainability of ornithological tourism in the Azores. This activity is becoming increasingly widespread in the archipelago.