Europe and Central Asia

European Seabird Resource Hub - Portugal

 

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    SPEA/BirdLife Portugal - marine programme

    Due to its extensive marine area, the 3rd largest EEZ in Europe, Portugal, is home to thousands of breeding, wintering and migrant seabirds.This enhances the country’s responsibility in seabird conservation and awareness in which SPEA’s Marine Programme has been leading the way since 2004.

    Today SPEA’s Marine Programme is a national and international reference in seabird conservation, with experience in field and policy work, active in mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira archipelagos, Cape Verde Islands, São Tomé and Príncipe, and providing technical support for other BirdLife partners, including Malta and Greece.

    Currently SPEA’s marine priorities are fisheries bycatch assessment/mitigation and sustainable fisheries,  designation of Marine Protected Areas, colony monitoring and restoration, at-sea data collection, marine renewables, marine litter, awareness actions and numerous surveys.

     

    		 

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    SPEA explains seabird bycatch

     
     

    SPEA's Marine Projects

    		  
     

    LIFE Marine IBAs (2004 - 2008)

    		 

    LIFE SOS Freira do Bugio (2006-2010)

     

    © Nuno Barros
    		 

    © Filipe Viveiros
     

    This project established the first Marine IBAs for Portugal

    		 

     

     
     

    LIFE Safe Islands for Seabirds (2009-2012)

    		 Future of the Atlantic Marine Environment (2010-2014)
     

    © SPEA
    		 

    © Nuno Barros
     

    This LIFE project tackled threats such as invasive alien species in Corvo, smallest and most remote of the Azorean islands, and a thriving seabird colony.

    		 

     

     

     
     

    LIFE MarPro (2011-2015)

    		 

    LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater (2006-2010)

     

    © Pedro Geraldes
    		 

    © Jorge Menezes
     
     International Project: protecting threatened and endemic species in Cape Verde (2013 - ) Monteiro Storm Petrel Species Guardian (2014 - )
     

    © Nuno Barros
    		 

    © Nuno Oliveira
     

    A Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF) project that will restore the ecosystems of the  Stant Luzia Reserve and the islands of Branco and Raso.

     

    		 

    Since the 1st of July 2014, SPEA is coordinating a new project for the conservation of this specie, financed by BirdLife International. The project will monitor Praia and Baixo Islets (Azores archipelago) colonies (only found here);  will implement conservation measures through a new team of specialists.

     
     Val + - sustainable fisheries (2014 - ) 

    LIFE BERLENGAS (2014 - 2018)

     

    © Nuno Barros
    		 

    © Nuno Barros
     

    Val + is a pilot-project involving SPEA, SCIAENA and the fishing sector: Docapesca. It will contribute to the valorisation of artisanal fisheries in ports of mainland Portugal. Val + will identify an environmental and socio-economic sustainability criteria, in order to promote best practices.

    		 

    This LIFE project will aim to establish and implement the Berlengas SPA management plan with the Portuguese government and local economic sectors in the area. Berlengas is the last breeding site of pelagic seabirds next to mainland Portugal.

     
     

    Collecting measurements from a Storm Petrel, © Nuno Barros
    		 

    Stichting BirdLife Europe gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. All content and opinions expressed on these pages are solely those of Stichting BirdLife Europe.


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