Featured Speaker: Luís Bernardo Brito e Abreu – Accounts and the Creation of the Largest MPA Network in the North Atlantic

Luís Bernardo Brito e Abreu, Advisor to the President of the Government of the Azores and Coordinator of the Blue Azores Program, will be also a speaker at the Ocean Accounts 2030 side event. A former naval officer with over two decades of service, since July 2022 he has been responsible for coordinating Blue Azores activities across the Regional Government, program partners, and stakeholders — serving as a key member of the initiative’s high-level management.

His intervention, titled “The input of accounts to support management of an Ocean Marine Protected Area”, will focus on the Azores’ groundbreaking decision to establish the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) network in the North Atlantic — protecting 287,000 km² of ocean, half under full protection. This major step brings Portugal closer to the global “30 by 30” target and exemplifies how scientific data, stakeholder engagement, and ocean accounts can support bold conservation policies.

This achievement reflects years of research, dialogue and collaboration, coordinated through the Blue Azores Program. Mr. Brito e Abreu will share insights on the process and the role of ocean accounts in supporting the effective implementation and long-term management of this MPA network.