The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology pointed out in Vila do Porto that the Regional Government has promoted the "sustainability of underwater tourism" in the archipelago, noting that the island of Santa Maria has an area of over 80 hectares dedicated to the conservation of fishing resources.
 
Fausto Brito e Abreu spoke on the sidelines of a visit to some of the areas with restrictions on fishing near the island, where four mooring buoys were installed, an investment over 35 thousand Euros.
 
The Regional Secretary for the Sea said the placement of these buoys was an aspiration of the Association of Diving Operators of the Azores (AOMA). He added that they are intended to visually mark protected areas, avoid the anchoring of vessels, which destroy the seabed, and facilitate maritime tourism operations."
 
Brito e Abreu also said the mooring buoy, placed in Baixa do Ambrósio, Baixa da Pedrinha, Baixa da Praia and on Vila Islet, "improve monitoring actions from land."
 
In this regard, he also recalled that two video surveillance cameras were installed Thursday in Baixa da Pedrinha and Baixa da Maia.
 
"The areas with restrictions on fishing function as a nursery for many marine species and, thus, contribute to the increase of stocks and income boost in fisheries," stressed the government official.
 
For the Regional Secretary, the creation of protected marine areas is "a clear sign of the maturity of the fisheries sector in the Azores." In this regard, he noted that it "may attract researchers, divers, tourists and visitors, creating new opportunities for alternative income sources fishing."